Herculean Tasks
by Saturnian Dreamer
Summary: The conditions surrounding Seth Goddard's demotion don't add up. With hints of Sol System-wide corruption in the UPP and a conspiracy hitting close to home, how is he to make a difference when he is "grounded" as a teacher at the Starcademy on the outer rim? Of course things get even more complicated when his lifelong mentor asks a favor...
1. A Tall Order

**Title** : Herculean Tasks - Chapter 1

 **Rating** : T

 **Pairings** : Space Cases - eventual Davenport/Goddard. "Goddenport" if you will.

 **Summary** : The year is 2261. The conditions surrounding Commander Seth Goddard's demotion don't add up. With hints of Sol System-wide corruption in the United Populated Planets and a government conspiracy hitting close to home, how is he to make a difference when he is "grounded" as a teacher at the Starcademy military school on the outer rim? Of course things get even more complicated when his lifelong mentor, James Davenport, requests a favor. So. Expose a government conspiracy, be a champion for marginalized students, protect his mentor's daughter, and teach a band of misfit kids while operating under the radar with the hopes of getting back into space by the end of it all. Simple, right?

 **Disclaimer** : For InvisibleNinjaPirate who came up with the conspiracy 'verse idea first. I don't own Space Cases.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Tall Order**

Commander Seth Goddard paced around his Starcademy quarters as he dialed his mentor's vidphone number and waited for him to pick up. When James Davenport's face appeared on the screen, Seth didn't even bother with a "hello."

"I hate doing this," Seth grumbled. "I hate being the bad guy."

"I am doing well, thank you Seth. How are you?" the older man offered, trying to be lighthearted while making a point.

"Sorry, Sir. I'm just very frustrated and wanted to cut to the chase. I need your help."

"It is better to play the part than to become the very thing you are trying to fight," James advised through the screen.

"I know. I just wish your daughter didn't hate me."

James chuckled. "T.J. does not hate you."

"So she only uses colorful language with Starcademy staff members she actually likes? Noted," Seth retorted sarcastically.

"Interesting," James mused with a knowing smile. "She's never been prone to using 'colorful language' as you put it. I wonder where she picked that up."

"Grozit, this is a mess," Seth grumbled.

James tilted his head in question. "Speaking of 'colorful language,' did you just use a Saturnian expletive?"

Seth put his head in his hands. "Too much time around my students."

"There is a Saturnian girl in your class, yes? The one with the invisible friend?"

"Imaginary friend. And yeah." Seth paused to run his free hand through his sandy brown hair, streaked with grey at the temples. "Sir, T.J. is smart. She's insanely smart. She's bound to put the pieces together sooner or later or at least admit to herself that something doesn't add up. And you know she won't leave things well enough alone. She'll probably wind up hacking into the Headmistress's email and—"

"I am aware," James conceded with a nod as he adjusted his wire-rimmed spectacles. "My daughter is quite curious. In spite of her by-the-book attitude, she does have a history of poking her nose where it does not belong if she gets the slightest whiff of injustice. You two are very much alike in that way."

"So what am I supposed to do? She's unknowingly working for the enemy. How do I keep her safe from that?"

"it would seem to me that you have two options."

Seth frowned. "I think I have to tell her. I've got three weeks to figure this out and either crack this conspiracy wide open or get T.J. out." He shook his head. "But this place and her career...it's her life. She wants to assist in governing a prestigious school that stands for inclusivity: one that teaches diplomacy and promotes peace and defends the rights of all members of the United Populated Planets, regardless of race. She's…" He trailed off.

"Yes?"

"People around her are using the school as a breeding ground for xenophobia and violence. Everything you've done and everything she's trying to do…" Seth clenched his fists. "And the STARDOGS and everything I've been fighting for... I mean, Space only knows what's really going on with the Andromedan colony!"

"It is a tall order, I am aware," James acknowledged.

"You can say that again. So on my agenda for the day: expose UPP corruption, be a champion for marginalized students, protect my mentor's daughter, and teach a band of misfit kids while operating under the radar with the hopes of getting back into space by the end of it all. Piece of cake." Seth sat down on the edge of his unmade bed with a frustrated sigh.

"But you are doing the right thing. And we are most fortunate that with the rules in place, you are giving my daughter enough paperwork to distract her from the truth, at least for now."

"I can only be late for so many meetings before she gives up on me."

James grinned. "Seth, my boy, she would never give up on you."

"Why not? As the Assistant Principal, it's her job is to enforce the rules. If I break them all, she'll just get fed up with me. It's not like she even cares."

"She just may care more than you realize."

"Sir?"

"She wouldn't contact me to rant about your latest list of infractions so often if she did not care. She used to call me once a week before you started working at the Starcademy. Do you know how often she calls now?"

Seth shook his head.

"Every other day. Our discussions tend to last the better part of an hour. That is a lot of time spent talking about someone who doesn't matter. Wouldn't you say?"

"What does she say about me?" Seth wondered carefully.

James grinned. "If you wish to find out the answer to that question, you would need to ask T.J. yourself."

"What am I supposed to do? Just waltz into her office with a cup of coffee and ask to chat?"

"Of course not." James grinned and his eyes twinkled. "Tea, of course. Two sugars."

Goddard scrubbed his hand down his face. "Space help me."

* * *

Goddard trudged down the Starcademy corridors with a frown on his face. He carried two beverage containers—one in each hand—and garnered odd looks from the staff and students he passed in the halls. The truth was he could have used two cups of coffee, but only one of the beverages was meant for him.

"G-good morning, Commander Goddard," Radu offered with a small nod.

Seth stopped and offered the academy's sole Andromedan student a reassuring smile. "Good morning, Mr. Radu. Everything okay today?"

The shy boy bowed his head to stare at the floor. His long curly blond hair fell into his face as he stammered, "Yes, Sir. Th-thank you. Y'know, for, uh, for standing up for me last week?"

Goddard nodded, not wishing to make a big deal of the incident. "You're welcome. Let me know if there's anything else on your mind, okay?"

Radu licked his lips nervously. "Yes, Sir."

Goddard turned to continue walking toward the administrative offices when he came face-to-face with perhaps his most problematic student, Harlan Band.

"Commander," Harlan greeted his teacher while glaring toward Radu.

"Mr. Band," Goddard offered in warning, noticing Radu shuffling behind him. "Anything going on that I should know about?"

"No, Sir," the young athletic Earther stated, the defiance in his voice evident.

"Better keep it that way," Goddard offered as he continued on. Over his shoulder, he added, "Or I know for a fact a certain assistant principal will give you all kinds of hell."

The Headmistress happened to round the corner then. She huffed at Goddard. "Language, Commander!" she admonished him.

"Bite me," he muttered, without giving her a second glance.

"What was that?"

"Good morning!" he offered brightly with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Did you do something different with your hair? Love it."

The headmistress preened a bit, touching up her hairdo, which Goddard thought resembled the Bride of Frankenstein's: large jet black curls defied gravity in an odd comical flattop.

Rosie Ianni beamed at everyone, wishing all the students good morning individually by name as she practically skipped down the hall. The Mercurian paused to chirp a "good morning" to her teacher and the headmistress as well. She'd overheard Goddard's comments on the headmistress's style and added, "I wish I had hair so I could try that. It looks great, Ma'am!"

The second the headmistress turned away, Goddard made a face of disgust behind her back and mock-shuddered, causing Rosie to shrug and both Radu and Harlan to chuckle. The two boys gave each other a questioning glance before Harlan's scowl reappeared and he continued on his way. Seth waited for Rosie to start talking to Radu and for Harlan to turn the corner before nodding again in the Andromedan's direction and venturing toward the administrative offices. He doubled his pace when he passed Catalina and Bova.

The Saturnian girl tucked a strand of her rainbow hair behind her ear as she turned to the empty space next to her and whispered, "Grozit, he's bringing Miss Davenport coffee? Suzee, how long before we start planning their wedding?"

Bova shook his head and even his antenna seemed to bob in disagreement. "Nah. One of them will kill the other first."

Goddard groaned and turned to glare at the kids. Neither seemed fazed. Catalina giggled as Bova shrugged and offered, "Rest in peace, Commander."

* * *

Assistant Principal T.J. Davenport leaned forward on her desk and rested her chin in her hands with a heavy sigh. She frowned as she glanced around her Starcademy office at the placards adorning her walls: certificates and awards boasting her achievements. Her life had been so simple before. She'd put in a lot of hard work, certainly, but at least she felt as if she had her head on straight. Now though, she was in charge of monitoring Commander Seth Goddard: former STARDOG Captain, former heartthrob, and current thorn in her side.

 _Be honest with yourself, you still think he's handsome._ She rolled her eyes and groaned at her inner voice. Yes, she'd harbored a schoolgirl crush on him once upon a time, yes she'd admired his work when he moved quickly through the ranks as a military man in the STARDOGS, and yes she might have fantasized about him as she grew older. But the experience of meeting him in person had been like getting doused with cold water and a hefty dose of reality. He was not the man from her father's stories that she grew up admiring: he'd broken the law, been stripped of his rank, and was bitter about his entire existence. The Headmistress had put her in charge of monitoring his progress as an instructor at the Starcademy as he relearned the rules he'd broken so he could later practice what he preached. This left T.J. as a glorified babysitter who was paid to tattle on the man she once dreamed of—

She groaned again, folding her arms in front of her and resting her head on her desk. She'd vent to her father almost everyday about the latest drama the now-commander was causing, and James Davenport, who'd once held her position at the Starcademy, merely chuckled and smiled, encouraging T.J. to see past Goddard's frustration and apparent disregard for authority—that the man she admired was still underneath the scarred exterior.

"Miss Davenport?"

T.J. lifted her head to see the subject of her wandering thoughts standing in her doorway. Goddard wore his trademarked knowing lopsided smirk: the one that wholly disarmed her. She retaliated by glaring at him to overcompensate and noticed when his concentration wavered. She wondered if perhaps this maneuver of hers was _his_ undoing. But no, then that would mean...

She cleared her throat and stood, sparing a brief glance at the clock on her wall. Her crisp British accent was pronounced when she addressed him. "Commander? We are not scheduled to meet."

"Nope."

"And you have not, to my knowledge, done anything that requires me to lecture you about regulations and procedure today."

His blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "It's still early."

T.J. shook her head and swiped her auburn fringe out of her eyes before getting to the point. "May I ask what brings you to my office?"

"I can't just stop by to say hello? I brought you tea from the canteen: English breakfast, two sugars."

It was only then she noticed he was carrying two travel cups: one she assumed contained coffee (black, as he preferred it) and one containing her standard tea order.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she said, crossing the room to meet him and hesitantly accept the beverage.

"Relax, I didn't do anything to it. Promise."

"You cannot blame me for proceeding with caution, what with your behavior lately," she defended herself. "You've been no better than your students who, by the way, tried to glue me to my chair again this morning."

Goddard made a pitiful attempt at covering a laugh with a cough. "I'll have to talk to them about that." He glanced at her desk. "So the chair you were just using...?"

"Is borrowed from another member of staff." She shifted uncomfortably.

"And your chair...?"

"Was once identical to the principal's in every way." She cleared her throat. "As of this morning, there is now one significant difference."

Goddard gaped at her in shock.

"Your students did not mean to glue the _principal_ to her chair, you see. So you can honestly say that they are not to blame for the incident if you are asked."

"You... But... Why...?"

"Perhaps I'm spending too much time around you. Or perhaps I am just growing tired of filling out paperwork for you and your students. Or perhaps I dislike the principal as much as you and the children do." She took a small sip of her drink and hummed in approval. "This tea is from the canteen, you said?"

Seth was still processing what T.J. had done. He snapped out of his stupor with an, "Uh, yeah."

"How is it you've used their meager supplies to prepare a better cuppa than I've ever managed?"

He shrugged, recovering with his usual dry wit. "Guess it's one of my many talents."

"Yes, well, thank you for the tea, but I do not have time to chat right now. I have an administrative meeting scheduled in fifteen minutes that I am required to attend. I'd hoped the Headmistress would be otherwise occupied, however I do not think I will be that lucky "

"What's the meeting about?" It was an odd question, and Seth ran his free hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned against the doorframe.

T.J. quirked an eyebrow at him. She didn't see the harm in telling him. "It would appear we are to discuss admitting more Andromedan students. Several members of the Starcademy Board are against the idea, given Mr. Radu's less-than-stellar performance."

Seth cocked his head to the side, and T.J. swore she noticed actual concern on his face. She also now noticed that he was blocking her way out. "They have to know that one student's performance doesn't reflect the potential of an entire race of people."

"Nor is his current performance indicative of his own skills," T.J. added with a sigh. "He appears to be extremely bright, though painfully shy. And the poor boy is being relentlessly bullied. During one such incident last week, I believe you were the one who intervened."

"Radu knows his own physical strength, so he refuses to fight back. The last thing he wants to do is hurt someone. You and I both know he could snap someone in half with his pinky without even trying."

"I would say that you are using hyperbole, but you are not that off the mark," T.J. conceded.

"I found him curled up in a ball on the floor as a group of entitled asshole kids beat up on him. I broke up the mob."

"And slammed a student against the wall in the process."

"I pushed Harlan away after he dared to take a swing at me too." Goddard took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "Wasn't my fault the wall was there. Oddly I haven't been reprimanded by the 'Headmistress of Frankenstein' for that one yet," Seth mused.

T.J. had been taking a sip of her tea and sputtered as she tried to swallow her beverage and laugh at the same time. She ended up coughing and dribbling a good amount of tea on the floor as she hunched over, careful not to spit the drink all over herself or Goddard.

"You okay?" Seth wondered. The smile was back again, but there was also a look of genuine concern that flitted across his features momentarily.

T.J. brought a hand to her chest as she coughed once more before clearing her throat. "I am fine, thank you."

"So, are you gonna write me up for that?"

"We shall see," T.J. mused. "However, whether or not I remember to file all of my reports is another matter entirely."

Seth blinked back his surprise. "This isn't like you."

"I do not know what you mean." She gave a shy smile in return. "Back to the matter at hand: Mr. Band's tendency to lash out is definitely cause for concern. And the high expectations and emotional trauma, in addition to the language barrier, have the deck stacked against poor Mr. Radu. He has come to me with his concerns—and I admire that he took that step to ask for help. I've attempted to issue disciplinary action toward those who have given him grief, but the rest of the staff have not properly enforced those punishments. I've even held private tutoring sessions with Radu in the hopes that additional instruction would help his grades improve. I've learned some Andromedan to better understand where there may be potential for confusion as Radu works on his English and Universal. Sadly, it would seem you and I are the only ones looking out for him."

Seth had no idea the lengths T.J. was going to help Radu. He felt guilty he wasn't doing more, even when one could argue he was taking on too much already. "Rosie has been kind to him," he offered, instead.

T.J. smiled softly. "Yes, it is in her nature to see the best in everyone. It is a shame her grades have slipped so much. Though I don't know how well she would do out in space, as impressionable as she is. She is entirely too trusting." T.J. blinked as she considered the man before her. She came to a realization, "For as much as you complain about the class of students you've been assigned, you do seem to care about their wellbeing, Commander."

He shrugged. "For as much as you complain about being assigned to monitor me, you seem to care about my wellbeing."

The comment took her by surprise. "Well, Father seems to still believe in you. You were his brightest pupil, and once held a record of accomplishments to which other students aspired. You may have 'fallen from grace' as it were, but you were once very noble indeed. I suppose I hope that once you conclude your pity party, you will acknowledge your potential and rise to the occasion. It would make everyone's job a lot easier and may even benefit the students if you were to cease your juvenile nonsense and apply yourself to teaching; that way they could succeed with your guidance. I believe your students could learn a great deal from you."

Goddard swallowed thickly. He hadn't considered that he had been sabotaging Radu with his calculated "nonsense." T.J. would vote to allow more Andromedans into the Starcademy, and her absence from the meeting she was supposed to attend would only serve to once again "stack the deck against Radu" and his entire race. Seth's heart sank. He couldn't win. "I've been given a Herculean task," he whispered.

"Surely your students are not lost causes, like many believe them to be," T.J. stated matter-of-factly. Gently, she added, "Just as you are not a lost cause, like others may believe you to be...or even perhaps as you believe yourself to be."

Something shifted between them as she looked up at him with kind eyes and a sympathetic smile. How she continued to have faith in him after everything he'd done was a mystery. Yes, she often lectured him, but anyone else would have given up on him ages ago with the number of stunts he'd pulled. She admitted she'd been going easy on him and trying to help him when most people would have recommended he be fired and forbidden from teaching ever again. He was a distraction from her responsibilities, and he would surely ruin her career if he continued, even if he had the noblest intentions. In trying to protect her, he'd failed to see the bigger picture.

"I've failed so many people," Seth whispered in a moment of vulnerability.

"Is that why you've set out to sabotage yourself?" T.J. wondered. "If it has been your goal to disappoint me, you have not succeeded in doing so. Father and I still have hope for you."

"I don't deserve it."

"Well. Agree to disagree. Davenports can be very determined."

"You mean stubborn?"

She didn't miss a beat. "If you like. Regardless of what you choose to call it, Father insists that you do share this quality with me, and indeed with him. Best to pick a name that makes it sound like a strength rather than a weakness, wouldn't you say?"

"Touché." Seth took a deep breath before stepping aside. "Better get to your meeting," he offered with a frown.

T.J. held his gaze for a moment, searching his eyes and wondering what had caused him to suddenly appear so somber. "Thank you for the tea, Commander," she offered kindly.

His eyes were downcast as she brushed past him. "It's literally the least I could do," he all but whispered.


	2. No Good Reason

**Title** : Herculean Tasks - Chapter 2

 **Rating** : T

 **Pairings** : Space Cases - Eventual Davenport/Goddard. "Goddenport" if you will.

 **Summary** : Seth has three weeks to expose the corruption at the Starcademy, but the conspiracy goes even deeper than anyone initially thought. When an unknown alien vessel docks at the school and his students go missing...that's when the adventure really begins.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Space Cases.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: No Good Reason**

"Well she more or less admitted that she's stopped tallying my infractions, so I might have to step up my game if the plan is to bury her in paperwork, Sir."

James studied Seth through the viewscreen, watching the younger man rub the back of his neck as he paced about his rooms. "There is something else troubling you."

It wasn't a question.

Goddard quirked an eyebrow. "How do you do that?"

"You have a few tells, my boy," James informed him.

Seth paused and grumbled as his hand dropped to his side. "Yeah, I'll work on that. It's just that today I realized that by looking after your daughter, I'm neglecting the bigger picture. We're allies to the Andromedans. Your daughter and I are the only ones here looking after Radu. If I keep pulling T.J. out of important policy meetings to protect her—"

"Then her voice will not be heard," James finished. "I take it you allowed her to attend such a meeting today?"

Seth hung his head. "Yes, Sir."

"May I also assume that you hovered outside the Board Room to keep an eye on her?"

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that, but yeah." Seth sighed and explained, "I was worried. T.J. is becoming a bit...rebellious."

James blinked back his surprise. "Rebellious, you say? How so?"

"It blindsided me, too. She hasn't been writing me up. She jokingly blamed me, saying I was a bad influence. And then she admitted to using the kids' latest prank as a diversion, which took some of the heat off of me and caused some issues for one of the other more _problematic_ members of staff."

James offered a curious smile. "What exactly has Theresa done?"

"Oh, y'know, rearranged some furniture that may or may not now be stuck to the rear end of a more senior administrator."

James laughed heartily. "Good for her! T.J. deserves to have a bit of fun every now and then."

Seth chuckled and shook his head, admitting, "I mean, it was a _little_ funny. But it was risky, and that really isn't like her. I guess she hoped the Headmistress would miss the meeting or something? I don't know. This whole thing is just..." Seth reached his hand up to the back of his neck again but thought better of it. "As far as I know, everything worked out today in terms of the big picture. It could have been better, but it could've been worse. The Board is split fifty-fifty on whether to admit more Andromedan students. If T.J. hadn't been there—if I'd really done my job and protected her like you asked me to—the decision would probably already be made to send Radu packing."

"It sounds like you may have more allies than you first realized."

Seth nodded as he processed this information. "Perhaps. But now your daughter and these other 'allies' have targets on their backs. Big picture win, but at a cost, Sir. And I can't just keep hanging around T.J. for no good reason. People will start talking."

James laughed at that. "Oh Seth, my boy! People are already talking!"

"Fantastic," Goddard muttered drolly.

"My daughter could do far worse," James teased.

Seth groaned and felt his face turning red in embarrassment. "I can't make this about feelings. It's about survival."

James grinned. "Now that is interesting."

"What is?"

"Who said anything about feelings?"

"Sir, please. I can't let you down. And I can't let her down. And I can't let Radu down. Some good people have already had unfortunate things happen to them on my watch, and I refuse to let that pattern continue."

"The circumstances surrounding Captain Band's death were—"

"Not my fault," Seth finished. "So I've been told. I still don't know if I believe that."

"And his son being in your class with Mr. Radu—"

"Is really not helping things, no. Look, I know you believe in me. And it helps. But this whole situation has spiraled out of control. I'm doing my best, but I don't know that my best is good enough."

"I might have heard something similar during another discussion earlier today," James mused. "From what I gather, you and this individual have made a little game out of proving each other wrong. In this particular instance, I'd like this game of yours to continue. Between the two of you, I firmly believe you can do anything."

"With all due respect, subtlety is not your strong suit, Sir."

"My days of being subtle are over. Especially when discussing matters with you and T.J. So stubborn, the both of you."

"I think 'determined' is the word she used," Seth quipped before he could stop himself. He shook his head. "I've got three weeks. I need to tell her everything: the big picture stuff. This is going to crush her. I don't want to do that to her."

James considered this. "And I wouldn't wish an angry, hysterical Theresa on anyone."

Seth cleared his throat. "Your words, Sir. Not mine."

"I am under no illusions; I am aware my daughter can be quite difficult when her anxiety peaks. Always has been. Her temper tantrums when she was little were quite spectacular."

Seth chuckled at the thought of a little precocious T.J. shouting, stomping her feet, and even wagging her finger at her own parents. "I can only imagine. She doesn't seem to do anything halfway."

"Truer words were never spoken. I can help ease the blow this time. I am actually on a shuttle now. I had planned to discuss 'the big picture stuff,' as you say, with T.J. after our father-daughter outing to the theater tonight. And then you and I will have the weekend to talk and calm her down."

"Be careful, Sir."

Knowing that James would be available to help in-person was a bit of a relief. But Seth also didn't want his mentor making himself a target.

"Don't worry about me. I have some friends in high places. I will introduce you. In the meantime, I would like to know what is going on back an the Andromedan colony: the conditions there, how the Andromedans are settling into their new home, and how the UPP and the STARDOG officers are treating them. Is there any way you could broach this topic with Mr. Radu?"

"I can try," Goddard offered. "The poor kid was afraid to come to me to ask for help with his homework, so I doubt getting information about the Collective or his homelife will be easy."

"But you did say you were making strides with him. T.J. has made similar comments. Radu appears to have a great amount of trust in you both, especially since you came to his rescue last week."

Goddard quirked an eyebrow. "I mentioned breaking up that fight in passing. What has T.J. been saying about me?"

"You mean to tell me the tea didn't work? Perhaps if you take her out to a nice dinner, then she might open up and—"

"Sir!" Goddard blushed and scrubbed his hand down his face as James laughed at his expense. "This is really not the time for—"

The chime to his quarters rang, and Seth looked at the timepiece on his bedside table. "I'm late for supervising Free Study."

"That'll be T.J. come to fetch you, then?"

Goddard nodded. "Safe travels, Sir. See you soon."

"See you soon, my boy."

Goddard ended the transmission and pocketed his compupad before taking a breath and opening the door to be greeted by a glaring T.J.

"Commander..."

Seth cleared his throat and avoided looking her directly in the eyes. Did she even know what the combination of her glare and pout did to him? _Space help me,_ he thought. "Miss Davenport." He retaliated with his signature smile and was pleased to note she briefly lost her composure.

"Once again, you are late for supervising your own students. And once again, I've had to be 'the bad guy' and deliver the news that they will not be permitted to go on their field training exercise due to their poor marks last quarter. None of them are happy."

Goddard brushed past her and headed down the hallway, away from the living quarters and toward the common areas and classrooms. Being around T.J. lately was giving him emotional whiplash: she was playful one minute and seething the next. He supposed he couldn't blame her, given the hoops she'd been jumping through and the grief he'd been giving her. And maybe his attitude wasn't any better.

"Are you more upset that you had to break the news, that they failed, or that I failed them?" Seth wondered. "Earlier today you said you weren't ready to give up on me yet."

"I do not want to give up on anyone, Commander," T.J. reassured him, walking a step behind. "But there is a lot of pressure from the higher-ups to, and I quote, 'deal with the Goddard situation.' And I admit I may have made a slight error in judgment when I had my bit of fun this morning. While it was amusing for a moment, the Head is now more temperamental than usual. She will have _my_ head soon enough."

Goddard stopped abruptly, and T.J. ran into him as he whirled around to face her. "Did she threaten you?" he asked, deeply troubled.

T.J. laughed at the absurdity of it all. "It was a figure of speech, Commander."

He wasn't convinced. "Who exactly is talking about 'the Goddard situation'?"

"Commander, what is going on?"

"Never mind. Later. We can talk later," he decided, forging ahead to the classroom.

"I know you care about the students, but they will flunk out without your guidance," T.J. cautioned as she followed after him. "I do not understand why you refuse to do your job."

"I'm a little overwhelmed right now." If he could just wait until James arrived to explain everything, he would be okay. He muttered to himself as he reevaluated his priorities, "Big picture: on the backburner again. Slightly smaller picture?" He spared a glance at T.J. "Ongoing. And onwards we go to 'Mission: Attention to Detail.'"

"Commander, what are you on about?"

"I want to help the students. I do. Maybe we could use Free Study as an opportunity for both of us to work with them. Two birds, one stone."

"I have other duties to which I must attend. I cannot hover around you every waking moment."

"That makes two of us."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't understand," Goddard grumbled as he approached the classroom and the doors parted.

"I am asking you to help me understand, and you are flat-out refusing to explain _and_ refusing to do your job."

"Trying to teach them anything is tough enough, Miss Davenport. And now you expect me to babysit them during their...?" He trailed off as he glanced around the empty room.

T.J. sighed from behind him. It wasn't the first time the kids took off when they'd been left unsupervised. As Goddard walked further into the room, something out the window caught his eye. His heart fell into his stomach as he saw the alien vessel docked outside.

 _Strange alien ship, plus missing kids, equals..._

Seth raced from the room trying to formulate a plan as he ran toward the docking station. Had hostile aliens kidnapped the students? Or had the students wandered onto the ship? Were there unknown aliens walking around the Starcademy? Why was the ship flying so close to the school? Was the UPP involved in any way, or was this completely separate from anything Seth had uncovered? Was the school targeted specifically? Who within the school was a person of interest?

"Commander Goddard!" the Headmistress bellowed as he rushed past her. "No running in the halls!"

He ignored her.

"Davenport!" The Headmistress grabbed T.J. by the arm on her way past her office. "What in the universe are you doing?"

Seth whirled around instantly to see T.J. frozen in place, trying to formulate an explanation. James had said people were already talking about how much time T.J. and Seth spent together. Seth didn't care what other people thought, but he knew T.J. did. Weighing his options, he decided he'd rather have her hate him than risk putting her in potential in danger. Plus, there were worse cover stories, and Seth had definitely thought of and discarded most of them.

"Sorry. Can't talk now. Explain later," was all Seth managed to say as he grabbed T.J.'s other hand and pulled her down the hall with him.

"Davenport, get back here!" the Headmistress shouted.

T.J. ran alongside Seth as she continued to war with herself. "We should alert security," she suggested. "Protocol states—"

"No time for protocol. Stick with me. I'll explain everything later, I promise."

"You keep saying that. When exactly is _later_?"

"I don't know, just...later!"

T.J. skidded to a halt by the airlock as Seth headed into the spaceway. "Why weren't you watching the students? What is going on that has you so anxious and distracted?" She'd never seen him this distraught before. She was angry with him for being irresponsible and dishonest, especially after she'd repeatedly stuck her neck out for him. "If I am to keep putting my job on the line for you, you owe me an explanation!"

"We don't have time for this right now! Do you trust me?" It was a loaded question that, honestly, could have gone either way. But he needed to know. "I'm one hundred percent sure those kids are on that ship. I'm going in after them. Do you trust me?"

When she didn't reply after a long moment, he looked away.

"Seth?" She reached for his hand and stepped into the airlock with him. "You are infuriating," she told him, straightening up to her full height and pushing him away.

 _Space hates mixed signals_ , Seth thought to himself as the two of them continued into the ship.

"In case you are wondering, I _will_ be writing a report to document this incident," she told him as she examined the design of the ship with a mix of awe and anxiety.

"You're the one who left the room," Seth grumbled, even though he knew T.J. wasn't to blame.

"Excuse me? _You_ are the one who was supposed to be in the room to begin with! If you care about the students so much, then do your bloody job! _This_ situation we are in right now is all _your_ fault!"

Goddard rolled his eyes. "They sneak off the Starcademy and onto this ship, and it's my fault?"

"You should have been watching them!" Davenport retorted. "If someone were to call himself a teacher—"

"No! What I call myself is a former starship captain busted in rank for no good reason and reassigned as a fleet instructor."

"No good reason? That's not what I hear."

"Well whatever you heard, you heard wrong!" Goddard fired back.

 _No good reason._ That was a lie.

He was sick of lying to her.

 _Later_ , he reminded himself.

He'd tell her the truth later...


	3. A Good Idea at the Time

**Title** : Herculean Tasks - Chapter 3 - A Good Idea at the Time

 **Rating** : T

 **Pairings** : Eventual Davenport/Goddard. "Goddenport" if you will.

 **Summary** : In addition to having the crew maintain a schedule that included classes and command post training aboard the Christa, T.J. and Seth had arranged periodic meetings to review the children's academic and personal progress. After the events of "Forever Young," one such discussion leads to some surprising confessions.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Space Cases.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: A Good Idea at the Time**

Over the months that passed, "later" seemed to stretch into the realm of "never." Seth was content to have it that way, if he was honest with himself. The more time he spent with T.J. and the students, the harder it seemed to be to come clean. He was keeping his secrets to protect them, after all. Light-years away from the Starcademy, he felt a sense of freedom. Away from the lies and red tape, he could finally command a crew. He was good at that. And T.J. no longer had to deal with bureaucracy and administrative work. She could focus on teaching. She was good at that.

The time since they'd left the Starcademy hadn't been easy by any stretch of the imagination. Radu had been infected by an alien virus: a relic of yet another war. Seth had argued with T.J. then. Still adjusting to his role as the children's guardian, he'd defaulted to being a commander and revealed a bit of residual prejudice he didn't know he'd been harboring. T.J. had called him out on it immediately, citing the need to maintain amiable relationships between the students.

"This isn't about people's feelings, Miss Davenport. It's about survival. If Radu's turned against us, then blood is going to be a lot worse than bad," he had replied in exasperation.

Feelings vs. survival: he'd once used the same argument against James. Seth noted after the fact that neither father nor daughter had argued.

Then came the compromise with scheduling. In addition to having the crew maintain a schedule that included classes and command post training, T.J. and Seth had arranged periodic meetings to review the children's academic and personal progress. A few adventures had caused them to miss some of their discussions: an encounter with a Spung killcruiser was all the excuse T.J. needed to postpone the first time. Their second missed meeting occurred because they'd been turned into children by Ninestein, and they felt having a food fight was a more productive use of their time (as any 12-year-old would). Which brought them to the week after.

Seth entered the classroom to find T.J. sitting primly on the bleacher seats, working on her compupad. He sat next to her and slouched as he booted up his own portable computer and reviewed some of his notes.

"I've been keeping a journal, but I don't know how much help it will be." He shrugged. "It's been a weird few weeks."

"That it has," she agreed. "What would you like to tackle first? The incident with the Ferna Herna? Elmira? Ninestein?"

Seth quirked a smile. "Actually, I thought we could discuss the fact that you've got a hell of a throwing arm."

T.J. blushed and rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Commander."

"Come to think of it, how did you even know to exact your revenge? Cat didn't fess up until after."

Her focus remained on her computer screen. "I have my secrets and you have yours," she replied cheekily.

Seth's blood ran cold. "Wh-what?"

T.J. didn't seem to notice Seth's alarm as she continued staring down at the small screen, though her typing had slowed as she seemed to become distracted. She finally stopped and looked up at him, admitting, "I lied when I said those memories were a blur. They did feel like they happened years prior, but they are still very clear for me."

He cocked his head to the side. "How do you mean? And why lie?"

"The incident with Ninestein is like a moment taken out of time and then slotted back into the proper place," she began. "I know it was only days ago, but it feels like years: like it happened when I was twelve years old. You don't remember at all?"

"Just bits and pieces. Really blurry bits and pieces."

Something about T.J. softened then. She stared into the distance for a moment and smiled serenely. "Do you remember finding me in the hallway the night we made the plan to dissolve Ninestein's hold on the Christa?"

Seth shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

"I was scared. Crying in the corridor, in fact. You were carrying a rather large piece of chocolate cake and offered me some. Goodness knows where you got it. You ate it with your hands, and had frosting all over your face."

Seth chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "That sounds about right."

"And I told you how atrocious your manners were."

"Also sounds right," he conceded.

"You asked what was wrong, and I admitted I was scared. I confided in you. And you promised you wouldn't make fun of me because, and I quote, 'Space hates bullies.' And then you admitted you were scared too. It would seem you and I had a bit of a breakthrough, and I thought it was," she paused, settling on, "nice."

"Teej," he said simply as he narrowed his eyes in concentration.

Her breath hitched. "Pardon?"

"That's when I called you Teej." Seth struggled to remember properly, asking, "You didn't mind, right? You said you didn't mind?"

She ducked her head and smiled coyly. "I thought it was rather sweet, to be honest. You gave me that nickname, and then you pinky promised me that we would be friends. 'I help you, and you help me,' you said. 'Pinky promise.' "

He stared at her in awe. "How come you remember all this and I don't?"

"That is why I lied. Though I suppose if we are to work together for the next few years, there's no point in me keeping such secrets from you. It is normal for me to remember things in great detail: I have an eidetic memory, you see. Though it is more of a curse than a blessing, if I am honest."

Seth's eyes went wide. "So you've got a photographic memory?"

Deciding how much she wanted to reveal, she continued, "I can recall texts I've read as if the pages are in front of me, yes." She bit her lip and admitted, "But it my case, that ability extends to other sensory information, beyond the visual. I can also recall verbal conversations with great clarity: auditory memories."

He was dumbfounded. "So you essentially remember… everything?"

"It sounds impressive, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I can recall fond memories in great detail, but the same rules apply for bad memories as well. I am able to close my eyes and essentially relive moments of my life," T.J. explained. "Even if you said you remembered the incident with Ninestein, I knew you would not remember it in the same way I did, to the extent that I do, and to the extent I always will. It is odd though: during that time, I couldn't remember anything about my adult life. I had been a twelve-year-old on Mars and then I'd wound up on the other side of the galaxy, being told I was an adult that had been age-regressed. It sounded positively absurd, and I had no memory of any of it. It was terrifying. I'd always remembered everything, and then suddenly…"

"You were in a moment taken out of time," Seth repeated. He allowed himself to ask, "And Ninestein—our conversation in the hallway, at any rate—you shared that with me because it was..."

"A fond memory," she confirmed. "A slight rewrite of our personal history in which you and I met twenty-some years back. I found it to be significant. I thought you should know about it." She took a breath and shook her head, feigning nonchalance. "I don't expect you to remember. It's alright that you don't."

"No, it's not. It's really not. I wish I could remember. Thank you for sharing that with me: the memory and your secret."

"Please don't tell anyone about—"

"I won't," Seth insisted. "I will take your secret to the grave." He stared down at T.J.'s compupad as he continued processing her confession. It troubled him, and he tried to be as casual as possible when he asked, "Who all knows? About your eidetic memory?"

"Five people," she answered confidently. "Myself, Father, my mother, my sister, and now you."

While he was honored to be one of the people T.J. trusted with her secret, he had to wonder, "You're sure no one else knows?"

"Father respects my wishes to keep it quiet. Mum always resented me for it—I would win arguments by using her own words against her—and my sister rather thinks she's superior to me in many respects, so I do not expect her to brag about something I can do that she cannot."

Seth gained some bit of solace from the fact that no one in T.J.'s family was likely to mention her ability to anyone. If anyone back at the Starcademy found out… If anyone in the corrupt faction of the UPP found out...

"My memory makes it easy to learn most things," T.J. continued. She seemed uncomfortable talking about it as she hefted her portaputer in her hands, "I like to think of my compupad as a backup hard drive of sorts. Encrypted, of course."

"T.J., you're not a machine."

"No, but I am able to retain information in such a way that the analogy seems appropriate." She smiled, recalling "Mother threw a fit when I once accidentally hacked into my primary school's database to check my grades."

"You did what?" Seth chuckled. "Accidentally, eh?"

"Well, I simply had to make sure I was the top of my class." T.J. laughed along.

"How old were you?"

T.J. looked away, embarrassed. "Eight."

"Eight?!"

"Of course, I see now I made an error in judgment. Just because I can do something does not mean I should. But it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"A good idea at the time, huh?" Seth seemed distant when he offered, "That's the way with most things, isn't it?"

"Pardon?"

"Just that people make decisions and things don't work out. Or they try to put some good into the universe and it backfires, or…" He trailed off. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

T.J. cleared her throat. "Should you ever wish to discuss some of the finer points of your ramblings, I'm willing to listen and help however I can. 'I help you, and you help me.' " She blushed and held out her pinky. " 'Pinky promise.' "

Seth's response was immediate as he hooked his finger with hers, but he was still processing T.J.'s confession and trying to put the pieces together. She'd said it seemed like their conversation as children had happened years ago. Even without knowing about it—and before it had happened in a linear timeline or a rewritten one—Seth had been keeping that promise by way of protecting T.J., even (and especially) if it didn't seem like he was helping at all.

"I'll do better," he stated resolutely. "I want to help, and I try to help. I do. And I know it may not seem that way sometimes, especially when we're not seeing eye-to-eye. So I'll do better. I might slip up every now and then, but I will actively try to do better. Pinky promise."

She could do little more than nod, suddenly overcome with emotion as the sincerity of his tone registered with her. It seemed like a promise and apology dealing with something far greater than their disagreements or his irresponsible behavior back home. To distract herself and calm her nerves, she recalled the banter they'd shared before Ninestein had returned them to normal and fought back a smile.

Seth was confused. He was vowing to protect her and she was on the verge of laughing? "What? What's so funny?"

"It's just the phrase you chose: eye-to-eye," she explained. "When we were twelve, we both figuratively saw eye-to-eye, but not literally. I was taller than you by a good measure, and you were not happy about it." Off his look, she apologized. "I'm sorry. I will try to meet you halfway more often. I am aware I can be a," she took a breath, "strong personality at times. I will also try to do better. We need to establish trust and put petty things aside and get these kids home safely. _That_ is our tip-top priority."

Seth nodded. "Agreed."

"And if my memory can be used as an asset to the lot of us, I will not hesitate to use it as such," T.J. added. "Pinky promise."

Seth was about to curl his finger more tightly around hers, but she pulled away to boot her compupad back to life. The screen lit up and she seemed to reset herself as she sat up straight and cleared her throat, preparing to return to their top priority: the kids.

"We have a lot of ground to cover. Where would you like to begin?" she inquired.


	4. Relatively Speaking

**Title** : Herculean Tasks - Chapter 4 - Relatively Speaking

 **Category** : gen, het

 **Rating** : T

 **Pairings** : Future Davenport/Goddard. "Goddenport" if you will.

 **Summary** : After the events of "It's My Birthday Too (Yeah!)" T.J. and Seth come to terms with the significance of their inclusion to the crew and try to figure out what it means for them going forward.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Space Cases.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Relatively Speaking**

She was trying.

Seth knew T.J. was trying: she was trying to be better, but she was also trying his patience. She had the students' best interests at heart, but she was going about things the wrong way with what seemed to be an ineffective "tough love" approach. Each of the students had come to Seth individually to complain about T.J.'s strict, forceful, and cold attitude lately. One of them—though no one would confess who—had retaliated by remixing the atmosphere in T.J.'s quarters with helium, leaving her voice absurdly high-pitched and prompting the kids to make quacking sounds when she entered the room. The prank grew tiresome, and T.J. was stuck with her cartoonish duck voice over a period of three days. During days two and three, she opted to use a type-and-speak program on her compupad, which only served to make her sound like a robot. By this point, the kids had started making all sorts of odd beeping and booping sound effects, which annoyed Seth, angered T.J., and confused Thelma.

In an effort to be nicer to T.J., Rosie and Bova had made her a batch of fudge as a peace offering, with the hopes that their teacher would start treating them with more respect if they showed her some. Unfortunately for T.J., the bottle of marshmallow sauce they'd been searching for looked exactly like the bottle of glue Thelma had misplaced, and T.J. had ended up with her mouth glued shut.

Seth had allowed himself to think it was a rather fitting punishment considering T.J.'s recent behavior, but quickly scolded himself. T.J. meant well. He knew she did.

But it would have been so easy.

Seth could have vented to T.J., telling her exactly how he felt about how harsh she'd been on the kids. And he had the chance to tell her everything he knew about the corruption back home without her interrupting.

"You know, Miss Davenport, I've had a few things I've been meaning to tell you," he'd announced.

As he'd crossed to her other side to begin his diatribe, Thelma had freed her, and she'd been able to speak again. The glare she'd given him was one for the record books.

"But they can wait," he'd decided.

She'd accused him of enjoying her pain entirely too much. "Oh those kids. When I get my hands on them, I'll—"

"Show them that no good deed goes unpunished?" Seth finished, bitterly. She'd hit a huge nerve, and she needed to know it. "You can call me the worst teacher in the galaxy, but even I know what lessons you shouldn't teach."

She'd huffed at him and had the decency to look ashamed of herself as she declared, "You've picked a miserable time to be right about something."

Space help him.

It would have been so easy.

After their tiff, Seth noticed a change in T.J. again, this time a complete 180 with the children. When Catalina's imaginary friend Suzee "disappeared" a few weeks later, T.J. had come to him with her concerns.

"Catalina has finally stopped talking to her imaginary friend, and you're upset?" Goddard had asked after a long day of engineering work, for which no one seemed thankful.

He needed to sort through his thoughts, so he'd bid T.J. goodnight without further conversation. She'd stopped him, thrusting a pile of dishes into his hands and using his own words against him, " 'Everyone has to do their fair share,' Commander Goddard."

Seth wondered if T.J.'s attitude was the result of an overcorrection in her attempt at being nicer to the crew. As annoying as it was for him, it was slightly...maternal? But if T.J. was serving as the students' mother, then what did that make him? The answer was obvious, of course, but he wasn't prepared to acknowledge it quite yet.

And so as he pondered this at the end of another long day, he found himself entering the Christa's galley, immediately walking past the food wheel machine and to the beverage dispensary. He stared at the mechanism on the wall, lost in thought.

From what he'd gathered, the day had started ordinarily enough, but then T.J. assigned the students a report on their ancestry, and things snowballed from there. With little accurate information available to the general public about the differences in Andromedan culture, there was no way for her to know that Andromedans didn't have families in the traditional way that humans or Rigelians did. Radu had been raised in the Collective in the Proxima colony with no identifiable parents. He'd been hatched from an egg in a hatchery and raised in the equivalent of an orphanage, as all Andromedans were. He'd not yet reached adulthood, so he had no idea what was expected of him as he grew older. At least, that was what Seth understood. While serving in the STARDOGS, he was told Andromedans didn't burden their children with expectations of adulthood and what it meant to become a productive member of their society until they reached maturity. Seth supposed there was something to be said for allowing kids to be kids in some respects. And then he'd told Harlan what little he knew of the Collective structure and inadvertently made a mess of things. He assumed Radu had claimed to share a birthday with Bova to fit in and feel normal.

 _Normal._

What did that word even mean anymore?

Nothing about their current situation was "normal." _And these poor kids are stuck with me as a role model,_ Seth lamented.

"Don't suppose you'd be willing to provide something a little stronger than coffee, huh?" he asked the ship.

After a few seconds of grinding and gurgling, the beverage dispensary spat out a tiny mug and then filled it with hot brown liquid. Goddard tentatively took a sip and made a face as the bitter drink assaulted his taste buds.

"Espresso? Not quite what I had in mind at this hour, but thanks."

He trudged over to the colorful dining table and took a seat. The doors parted behind him, but he didn't turn to acknowledge the visitor. He stared into his overly-caffeinated beverage lost in thought and didn't register T.J.'s presence until she sat down next to him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Commander? Are you quite alright?" she asked gently. "You look like you're light-years away."

He sighed, not quite knowing where to begin. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. He offered a shrug and a sigh of defeat as his reply.

"I can leave you alone with your thoughts, if you'd prefer," T.J. proposed, standing to leave. "But if there is anything you would like to discuss, my door is always open."

"I'm a dad," he said to the table.

T.J. stopped in her tracks and turned to face him with wide eyes and an ache in her chest. Whatever she had been expecting him to say, it wasn't that. "I, um, I was not aware that you had children," she said once she'd found her voice.

"Huh? Oh! No, no. I mean I have _these_ kids: the students," he quickly clarified, finally meeting her eyes. "It's just that all the talk of family today made me realize, as much as Radu considers us his family, I consider him—and all the kids—a part of mine, too. I wasn't given much of a choice in the matter, but we're more than just a crew out here. We're a family. And that makes me...a father."

T.J. smiled sympathetically as she reclaimed her seat. "I recently came to a similar realization regarding being akin to a mother," she revealed.

"It's scary," Seth admitted. "I don't know how to be a dad. I never thought I would be one, and now I've suddenly got five kids!"

"Five is a few more than I'd considered for myself," T.J. said, wringing her hands. Giving the matter another moment of thought, she frowned and mused, "I suppose transitioning from the role of disciplinarian to mother isn't too far a stretch under the circumstances."

"T.J., you're more than just the disciplinarian. I've seen a shift in you lately. You're becoming more patient with them, more nurturing." He smiled. "I saw the pride on your face earlier when you realized Radu saved that creature's life, like it was one of the greatest things you'd ever witnessed.

"I do believe it was," T.J. agreed.

"I thought there was going to be a baby Andromedan on this ship for half a minute, and I nearly had a heart attack," Seth confessed, shaking his head.

"I was not going to mention it, but you did look rather terrified."

"Fantastic," he deadpanned.

She took pity on him. "Oh, Seth. Even if there had been another child to consider, we would have managed."

"It would have been _a lot_ of managing." He took a chance and asked, "At the risk of undermining crew confidence for a second time today, may I tell you something?"

T.J. cocked her head to the side. Her curiosity outweighed her apprehension, so she gave him an encouraging nod. "Of course."

"I don't think I can be a commander and a father to this crew."

She frowned at him. "Where is this doubt coming from? You've done extraordinarily well so far."

"I can't do both at once: the responsibilities of one are at odds with the other." He pressed on, explaining, "When we get a distress signal, the STARDOG Code says it's mandatory to answer. As a commander—under normal circumstances with a standard crew—I'd follow procedure, answer the call, and send a small search party to investigate. With the kids, I'd likely be leading them into danger. I've lost crewmates before, and that kind of pain and guilt is something I never want to experience again." His voice grew gravelly as he remembered the names and faces of those brave people and their grieving families, "The men and women who died on my watch were trained officers who knew the risks. But if I lost one of our kids... The kind of pain that would come with that? I've seen it, and I still can't even begin to fathom..." His voice finally broke, and he hung his head as tears stung his eyes

T.J. inhaled sharply. Her eyes were watery as well. "Our kids," she repeated.

Goddard bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. "Mmhmm."

She reached over to squeeze his hand. "Seth..."

"Space hates weakness," he mumbled.

"Caring about people is not a weakness," T.J. refuted. "On the contrary. Allowing yourself to care for all of us so deeply is one of the bravest things you could possibly do."

He wiped his eyes, gathered the courage to look at her again, and observed, "You're surprisingly calm about all of this."

"I would not say 'calm' is the word for it. However I did have more time to process the revelation of sudden parenthood. Rosie accidentally called me 'Mom' about a week ago during class," T.J. explained. "She was so embarrassed, she overheated and set off the sprinkler system."

"Poor kid." Seth narrowed his eyes in realization. "So that's why Harlan showed up for command post duty wearing swim trunks and floaties."

T.J. raised her eyebrows. She hadn't heard about that. "I should imagine he did it at Rosie's expense. The conditions in my classroom were not severe enough to warrant such attire."

"I made him go change, and I gave him two demerits."

T.J. nodded in approval before moving on, "Harlan's antics aside, the incident caused me to spend the rest of the day evaluating what Rosie's slip of the tongue truly meant for me, and indeed for all of us and the crew dynamic."

Seth remembered, "You missed dinner once last week."

"Yes, well, the breakdown that resulted from my revelation was quite spectacular."

"You should've told me. I would have tried to help."

T.J. brushed off his concern. "I did not want to worry you. I've been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks all my life. Alone, for the most part."

"That doesn't have to be the case anymore," Seth told her, gently.

T.J. fidgeted in her seat, looking everywhere but at him as she tried to make light of the situation. "Next time I wind up hysterical, I shall try to keep that in mind."

Seth dropped that particular thread of conversation, noticing her discomfort. He opted to add to the levity instead. "Bet you never thought you'd be co-parenting with me, huh?" He playfully nudged T.J. and caught her blushing. "Are _you_ going to set off the sprinkler system? Your face is almost as red as your hair."

"Goodness." T.J. ducked her head to hide her face as a smile bloomed without her permission. When her cheeks were no longer burning and she finally looked Seth in the eyes, she was shocked by the adoration directed at her. "If I may also offer a truth?"

Their hands were still clasped on the table; a fact Seth realized when T.J. started absentmindedly running her thumb back and forth over his knuckles. He nodded his assent as he felt a sudden wave of _something_ wash over him: slight trepidation and self-pity followed by an odd sense of relief and...joy? He didn't dare look at their joined hands, afraid it would draw attention to T.J.'s actions and she'd finally retreat in embarrassment. He found he didn't want to lose that contact.

T.J. looked down anyway and her hand went limp. Seth's grip instantly tightened, fearing she would pull away. His own anxiety was palpable, and she took the nonverbal cue and squeezed his hand back, offering a small encouraging smile as she did so. Her voice was genuine and reassuring when she told him, "However accidental our inclusion may have been on this strange journey, I am honored to be a part of this family."

Seth nodded. He swallowed and agreed, "Same."

While they did not _always_ agree, they had made great progress in such a short amount of time. The realization that they had come to read each other without speaking a word made for a confusing combination of apprehension and relief.

As they contemplated this simultaneously, yet separately, Seth continued feigning nonchalance, "Y'know my dad isn't much of a role model, but yours is. James is more of a father to me than my own."

T.J. nodded. "I suspected as much. You are like a son to him, you know."

"I've been thinking about him a lot lately. He'd know what to do out here. More and more, I find myself wondering how he'd handle the crazy situations we get into. He was always there for me, even after my demotion. I still called him when I needed advice about...anything. We'd talk, and then he'd call back a few days later to check up on me. It was nice having that support: nice to know I wasn't a complete screw-up."

T.J. was quick to apologize, "I am deeply sorry for those times it was I who made you feel like a 'screw-up.' It was wrong of me to have passed judgment so quickly."

"No, you were fine. It's everyone else that made me feel like a failure: they heard the stories and wrote me off. Any friends I'd made while in the STARDOGS went radio silent, and the Starcademy staff hated me. You only called me out on my BS when it was warranted. Your dad did the same. You both wanted me to be a better version of myself instead of wallowing and throwing myself a pity party. I'm not sure I realized that at the time, but it's obvious looking back now." He gave her a lopsided smirk. "Like father, like daughter."

T.J. rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"I miss him." Seth admitted. "Is that weird for me to say?"

"Not at all. I miss him too."

"But he's _your_ dad. He doesn't owe me anything. There were times I felt uncomfortable relying on him as much as I did. And I still owe him so much for everything he's done to help me over the years. I don't think I could ever repay him."

"I should think getting us all home safely would be sufficient enough," T.J. declared.

"What if I can't?"

"We have already determined you are not shouldering the burden on your own."

"But what if...?" Seth's voice died in his throat as his grip on her hand tightened.

She looked away for a brief second before checking her posture, sitting up straight and feigning confidence. "Father might not be here, but you have the next best thing: another Davenport to give you advice and tell you when you're being stubborn. Someone has to keep you in line, and I do not intend to stop doing so anytime soon." She relaxed after she made her point, admitting, "I can be stubborn as well, you see."

"Nah, not stubborn. Determined," Seth decided, recalling their conversation the day they'd left the Starcademy. "One of your best qualities."

"And yours." She smiled, recalling the initial exchange as well. " 'Best to pick a name that makes it sound like a strength rather than a weakness.' "

The two of them were content to resume their usual repertoire of insults and compliments veiled in banter: business as usual after a rather emotional conversation. The verbal sparring had gained a rather affectionate undercurrent that was noticed by both but not outwardly acknowledged by either of them.

He narrowed his eyes in thought. "Thank you for not giving up on me. I gave you hell, and—"

"I'm stubborn, remember?"

"Determined." He took a breath and took a chance. "I'm glad it's you."

"Pardon?"

And he was glad for a number of reasons. Yes, T.J. was the best equipped to assist in teaching the students, and yes Seth enjoyed her company, and yes she kept him in check. But in spite of all the insane things they'd encountered on their trip, Seth believed he was better equipped to keep her safe now out in deep space. He'd been out of his element at the Starcademy, trying to juggle his teaching responsibilities with his military career with his promise to James. On the Christa, at least he felt like he knew what he was doing...most of the time. And on the Christa, T.J. was away from members of a corrupt bureaucracy who intended to use or harm her.

"Out here. With me. I'm glad it's you," he clarified.

T.J. scoffed and brushed off the compliment. "It could have very well been the Headmistress," she said with a laugh.

He didn't laugh along. "It never would have been her. It would have only been someone who cared: it was either you or no one at all."

"Then it would have always been me. Every time." If she'd stayed behind and Seth and the students had vanished, she never would have forgiven herself. "But the students' poor parents; they probably think…"

Seth cared about the kids as if they were his own, but a part of him almost felt ashamed: that he had no right to think of them that way. Not when their families back home probably already feared the worst and were grieving the loss of their sons and daughters.

"Do you think Father knows we are alright?" T.J. whispered.

Seth gave her a watery smile and deflected, "With you to keep me in line? Yeah. He knows we're better than alright. He knows we're safe. He knows you're..."

"In good hands?"

"I was going to say 'giving me hell when I deserve it.' "

"Of course. But only then."

"Yeah. Only then."

"Do you feel a bit better?" T.J. wondered. "I hope our discussion did not make matters worse."

"I'm still scared as hell," Seth admitted honestly. He looked down at their hands again. "But I guess we can be scared as hell together, and that's...oddly comforting, I guess?"

"I am not completely sure, but I'd imagine that feeling comes with the job."

"So you're saying we're doing something right?"

T.J. squeezed his hand. "I do believe we are."

"High praise coming from you."

"It is well-deserved." A beat, then, "Father did seem to think we would work well together if we could put our differences aside. I imagine he'd be pleased to know that we are proving him right."

Seth noticed her blushing and smirked, revealing, "He'd said something similar to me. Repeatedly, in fact."

T.J. shook her head and smiled fondly. "I love him dearly, but he does tend to meddle. Is that perhaps how you knew my standard tea order?"

Seth laughed. "James did tell me, but I already knew." He shrugged. "I do pay attention sometimes."

"He encouraged me to bring a black coffee to our next scheduled meeting together," she revealed.

"Hmm, and were you going to?" he teased.

"I might have done. But I suppose we will never know," she playfully fired back, staring at his mug. "Speaking of: What in the universe are you doing drinking caffeine at this hour? Don't you ever want to get to sleep?"

Seth gave her a lopsided smirk. "Alright, _Mom_."

T.J. rolled her eyes and huffed, looking a bit hurt as she muttered, "Oh, honestly."

"I think you'd make a great one, if that helps," Seth offered, sensing perhaps he'd said something wrong.

T.J.'s heart fluttered before sinking. "This is the closest I will ever come to motherhood: out here with the students. But thank you."

"No. We'll make it home, and you'll find someone to settle down with, and then you can have insanely intelligent children with adorable accents and impeccable manners."

T.J. was about to contradict him, but instead found herself cocking her head to the side as she realized, "Did you just say 'adorable accents'?"

Busted. Seth winced. "No?"

"Intelligent and adorable, you said?"

"Don't read too much into it. For all you know, I was thinking those qualities would come from the kids' hypothetical father."

She blushed and then cleared her throat as she shook off the haze of emotion threatening to cloud her judgment once more. She tried to be casual and matter-of-fact when she stated, "For what it's worth I think you would make an excellent father, if that is something you'd want for yourself. Perhaps you'd be an overly-permissive parent..."

"You mean 'fun-loving,' right?"

T.J. rolled her eyes but sounded defensive when she asked, "What would that make me?"

"Protective," Seth automatically replied. "Maybe I could do with being a little more like that."

"I suppose I should learn to put a little less pressure on myself and the students." She shook her head. "Goodness, I should have known better than to ask Radu to complete a family tree. It was not my intention to set him up for failure. I was informed that the Andromedan government had not yet sent the Starcademy his family history. It never occurred to me that had been some sort of miscommunication: that the information simply did not exist." She paused, thinking back to earlier, "But it occurred to you."

"While I was serving in the war, we were given some intel about Andromedans," though he left out the qualifier, "as our enemies." He sighed. "It was wrong of me to offer up that information to Harlan. I should have gone to Radu and asked. In fact there have been several occasions where I've found myself slipping up and going back to my training and making assumptions rather than acting as a supportive authority figure or guardian and just asking the kids questions. The STARDOGS didn't know everything. But you know what they say about hindsight. I'm just glad Radu doesn't harbor any hard feelings."

"Toward you," T.J. finished. "He gave Harlan a rather firm handshake earlier." She worried her lip. "I am curious about what you were told regarding Andromedan culture and their newly-established government. I'd tried to inquire after Radu's missing intake forms on several occasions, but the rest of the Board gave me the runaround. I suspect Radu's admittance to the Starcademy was not completely by-the-book.

Seth rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at the table. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Starcademy fast-tracked him. Good press and all that," was all he offered.

"Not all of it was good. I'm certain you remember there were quite a few people who set out to make Radu's life difficult, to say the least."

"Can we not talk about this now?" Seth requested. "Can't we save that discussion for—?"

"Later?" T.J. finished, now wondering how exactly his training tied into whatever he'd been worrying about while teaching at the Starcademy. "I haven't forgotten."

"You never will." It wasn't a dig at her; it was a fact.

"So when will 'later' be, exactly?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Sometime within the next six years and change?"

T.J. held up a hand in surrender. "Just promise me you won't allow whatever it is to eat away at you in the meantime. It cannot be healthy to bottle everything up, and I am afraid you are stuck with me as your only sounding board for a while."

"Not stuck. I'm grateful," Seth admitted honestly. "And I know. Just...let's leave it for later. Please?"

"I suppose there is no point in arguing, is there?"

"Nah. I'm determined, too. Remember?"

T.J. narrowed her eyes but was unable to stop the smile that quickly spread across her face. "Quite."


	5. Court Ship

**Title** : Herculean Tasks - Chapter 5 - Court Ship

 **Category** : gen, het

 **Rating** : T

 **Pairings** : Future Davenport/Goddard. "Goddenport" if you will.

 **Summary** : After the events of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Court," T.J. and Seth ponder the implications of sending a message backward through time and wonder what their transformation means for their friendship. Will they reach a verdict? Or is the jury still out?

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Space Cases.

* * *

They had turned into Spung.

T.J. and Seth had turned into Spung.

She'd sought him out in the Command Post, vigorously scratching her neck, hands, and sides as she ranted about the kids pulling some sort of prank (likely alluding to the time they'd put itching powder in her uniform). Seth had been quite proud of his little quip, telling her to "Get a dictionary, and look up the word 'paranoid' and see if your picture's next to it." But soon after she departed, his skin began positively crawling to the point where the sensation could not be attributed to the power of suggestion, nor did Seth believe it was the result of a prank. Something was _wrong._ He made a mad dash to his quarters, intending to take a shower and wash off whatever irritant he'd been exposed to. Before he could even unzip his jacket, he moved to itch his cheek and scratched his face raw.

Literally.

The skin came up under his fingernails, and he stared down at his hand in horror. He immediately raced to the bathroom to look in the mirror, expecting to see a gaping bleeding wound and was even more disturbed to find green scales. The affected area didn't hurt, nor did it itch anymore, and there wasn't a drop of blood to be seen.

"What the hell?!" he growled. His fear gave way to an intense anger he hadn't been expecting, and his voice sounded deeper than usual as he seethed, "Fine. She was right to be concerned. T.J. was right."

 _T.J._

The shock returned. He needed to find her: to warn her that whatever was happening to him was happening to her, too. Maybe he'd be able to get them both to the Med Lab, at the very least to prevent the affliction—whatever it was—from spreading to the kids. And yet he feared he knew _exactly_ what it was. Even more disturbing: there wasn't a cure for it.

Seth raced through the corridors, stumbling over himself as his equilibrium shifted and he became disoriented. As he tracked T.J. to the Galley _somehow_ , following where his instincts led him, his worry dissipated and his motivations changed: _something else_ that had been lingering in the back of his mind pushed its way to the forefront. Seth tried to repress those thoughts and lock them away with any related emotions. He'd done well with that up until this point: feelings versus survival, emotion versus logic. At least, that's what he told himself.

But Space was a liar, and all logic and reason had been flushed out the airlock as the transformation allowed Seth's primal side to take over. There was no doubt now: he was turning into a Spung. He should have been terrified, but he found he cared even less about changing back the moment T.J. submitted to the biochemical changes overtaking her as well.

Throughout the chaos that ensued—gaining T.J.'s affections, chasing after the kids, and scrambling through the jumptubes—Seth fought himself. And soon he found himself trapped in one of the tubes, struggling to crawl back up to the Command Post, with T.J. climbing over him.

The ship rocked, and he shuddered. He reached out to brace himself against the walls of the tight space, but inevitably clung to T.J. instead. Suddenly, it wasn't a female Spung looking at him anymore. It was T.J. And they were _both_ holding onto each other in the small space.

"Teej?"

"Seth?" She looked around her in a panic. "Are we—?

"Back to normal? I think so. You look like you."

The relief was palpable when she confirmed, "You look like you too." But soon the panic was back. She took a gulping breath of air before asking, "Are we trapped in here now? I am not exactly comfortable in cramped quarters.

She needn't have worried. Seconds later, the system reactivated, and she and Seth were pulled through the jumptube network. Seth landed in the Command Post first, with a gasp. The kids watched as Thelma helped him up, wondering, "Are you alright, Commander?"

"I… I think so." Wait. "Miss Davenport," Seth realized aloud, automatically using T.J.'s title in front of the students. Where was she? She'd been right there with him. He called down the jumptubes for her in a panic, "Miss Davenport? Miss Davenport!"

She landed behind him seconds later, startling him and nearly knocking him off his feet. Her voice was strained, and she almost sounded near tears when she asked, "What happened?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. She remembered everything, but she didn't want to believe it. As the students recounted the events of the day—how they slipped into an alternate dimension and started changing into Spung, argued over what to do, saw all sides of the problem, and found a solution—there was no doubt in T.J.'s mind that the experience had _definitely_ been real.

Harlan smiled as Cat scrunched her nose. "No big deal, really. We just used a little trial and error," the young Earther added, chuckling at his own joke.

T.J. was suddenly very aware of Seth's proximity to her: his one hand on the small of her back and the other ahold of her elbow as he helped steady her. The slithering sensation in the back of her throat was something she could have done without. The sight of her pulling a worm from her mouth was something he could have done without. The look of disgust on his face was the last thing she saw before her surroundings faded to black and she became deadweight in his arms.

* * *

After T.J. regained consciousness and the kids were done laughing at her expense, Rosie suggested she scan everyone in the Med Lab to ensure everyone was back to "normal." The adults were the last to be examined. Rosie wanted to run some extra tests on them "just to be on the safe side" considering they had been the only ones to undergo a complete transformation and were more susceptible to any lasting side effects. Davenport and Goddard sat next to each other, fidgeting, with their gaze fixed firmly on the floor, as Rosie reviewed the results on her compupad.

"Good news! According to these readings, both of you are back to normal," the young physician chirped. "Not a trace of Spung DNA to be found."

Davenport let out the breath she was holding. "Brilliant," she said through a sigh of relief.

Goddard cleared his throat as he scrubbed his hands down his face and looked away. "Um, Rosie? If you could give us a moment, please?" Seth waited until the girl was out of earshot before asking, "You okay, Teej?"

"What the hell do you think?! Of course I am not okay!" T.J. snapped. She put her head in her hands. "My behavior was absolutely atrocious! Appalling!" Backtracking a moment, she asked him, "Do you remember anything?"

Seth rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his boots. He had the decency to look ashamed as he thought back to earlier in the day. "Uh. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yep. And my behavior was definitely worse. I'm sorry. Jeez. T.J., I… Can we just forget about it, please?"

She laughed mirthlessly. "You can, if you'd like."

He winced, realizing his mistake. "Oh God. I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean…"

"I know. But forgetting about the events of the day is obviously easier said than done." There was an awkward lull in conversation, and T.J. dared to think aloud, asking, "The things we said and did when we were… Where did that come from, I wonder?"

"We were turning into Spung: thinking and acting like Spung. That's it. We probably shouldn't read too much into it."

"Since you mention it," T.J. began hesitantly, "our encounter with Elmira and Warlord Shank did motivate me to research the Spung and their culture."

Seth feared he knew where the conversation was headed. Nervous and defeated, he requested, "T.J., please stop."

But she pressed on, trying to make a point, "In my reading, I recall very distinctly that—"

"I know!" he interrupted. "The food thing—the way you and I shared a meal—is part of a Spung courtship ritual. Let's please not get into this, and… Why are you staring at me?"

T.J. _was_ staring at him: with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. When she found her voice, she explained, "I was not previously aware of any Spung courtship rituals."

Well, shit. "Uh. Wait. What?"

"Before you interrupted, I was going to say that traditionally a female Spung would not be allowed to hunt alongside a male. And yet while we were looking for the students, you deferred to me. I found that particular point to be something of note."

"Oh." Seth gulped. "I should go. Do you want me to leave and give you some space? Yeah, I should just leave."

Her reflex was to rest her hand on his knee to prevent him from standing, surprising both of them. "No," she decided. "In spite of some of the things that occurred today when neither of us were in our right minds, you were not as much a buffoon as you may believe."

He disagreed, cringing as he remembered, "Teej, my behavior—"

"I liked it!" she interrupted. "At the time," she clarified as the look of shock registered on his face and a deep blush overtook hers. "I was going to send Thelma to warn you. We figured out what was happening right before you found us."

"And _I_ was coming to warn _you_. At least that's how it started. I was going to warn you about what was happening, and I was going to tell you to…" He interrupted himself with a sigh as the stupidity of his plan registered. "I was going to tell you to stay away from me."

T.J. shook her head and couldn't help but smile softly. "Oh, Seth. Always the noble one. You do realize the flaw in your strategy, I hope."

"Obviously not one of my better ideas," he conceded. "That's one of the reasons I need you around: to tell me when I'm acting like an idiot."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You are not an idiot."

"My inhibitions were shot by the time I reached you," he admitted. "I thought I could fight it. I tried to. I probably should've called for Thelma to confine me to my quarters or even to the airlock until we figured out how to fix it… If what happened could be fixed. I had no idea at the time."

It was a sobering thought. Neither had dared to believe there wasn't a way to fix what was happening to them. And had the transformation been permanent…

"What would we have done? If there hadn't been a way for us to change back? What would have happened?" T.J. whispered.

"Judging by what the kids said, they would have transformed as well, eventually. I guess we would've been a dysfunctional pseudo-family of Spung wandering around the galaxy and wreaking havoc," Seth deadpanned.

"I would not have wanted that," T.J. admitted. "I am aware that not all Spung are as ruthless as we believe. Elmira certainly proved that point: that our preconceived notions about the Spung as a whole are wrong. But as my own impulses started to change and my behavior started to change… If _that_ is who I would have been… I would rather die than harm anyone."

Seth grasped her hand. "Teej…"

"I mean that. If I ever reach the point where I may endanger the lives of the children or anyone else—under any circumstances—I need to know that you would stop me."

He didn't know what to say. He couldn't promise that: not if it meant taking extreme measures. Seth had promised James he'd protect his daughter. And what T.J. was asking… "What if we both needed someone to stop us, like today?"

She shook her head in reply. "Hopefully it will never come to that. Again."

"Teej, do you feel safe around me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A relevant one. An important one. I need to protect you...and the crew. And I need to know that you feel safe under my leadership."

She caught his slip-up but chose not to acknowledge it. "This is the second time you have expressed doubts in this regard. Yes, I trust you. Certainly there have been a few mishaps for which no training could have possibly prepared us. But even so, my faith in your abilities as a commander and as a guardian to the children has not wavered."

"I just feel like I'm letting you down."

"I cannot think of anything that you, in your right mind, would do to let any one of us down. There are some things that are beyond our control. Granted, those are the things that terrify me the most. But I would never blame you for them."

"But—"

"You continue to speak as if you are in this alone," T.J. realized. "We already had this conversation. In fact, if today is proof of anything, it is that in any universe—any alternate reality—you and I are a team."

Seth stared at her in awe as she offered him a soft smile. The truth of her own words combined with the way he was looking at her caused her heart to skip a beat. Their bond defied the alternate universe's natural and physical laws: even as members of an aggressive species in a culture where the men were dominant, they'd still treated each other as equals.

"We did still fight a fair amount," Seth deflected. "But I guess being trapped in the jumptubes is enough to make anyone cranky."

"Even Spung suffer from claustrophobia, it would seem."

"You and I are okay, then?"

"Of course." Her cheeks flushed pink and she smiled demurely, adding, "It will take more than this to break a pinky promise."

"I don't know about that. After today, there should be an 'I Told You So' clause in there somewhere. You were right to worry, and I didn't listen. I'm sorry."

T.J. considered this, ultimately deciding, "I worry about so many things, and I do not gain satisfaction from being right about them. Quite the opposite, in fact. And even if we appear to be in some sort of imminent danger, I do appreciate your efforts to ease my mind. When you crack jokes at my expense, I confess I do find it rather comforting."

"Really?"

She rationalized, "If you are in the mood to tease me, I suppose the situation cannot be that dire.

Seth nodded. He didn't have the heart to correct her. No use in both of them worrying more than they already were. Later, he thought. There would be time for that later.

T.J. noticed Seth itching the back of his hand, and she rested her hand on top of his in an effort to get him to stop.

"Sorry, I just feel like I need to wash away the day or something. Rosie said we were back to normal, but I still feel…" He felt disgusted with himself, more than anything. "I know you trust me. And under normal circumstances… But what happened today was _not_ normal and could have ended horribly. If you ever feel that I'm a danger to you…"

"Seth, no. I—"

"But you asked the same of me."

She shook her head and grew pale, racing to the sink. She barely made it in time before she heaved.

Seth hurried to her side but stopped short, resisting the urge to rub soothing circles on her back as she leaned against the adjacent counter and caught her breath. He grimaced as bits of worm swirled down the drain. "Shit, T.J."

"I'm fine," she insisted, once she was finally able to speak.

"You're not fine. And I'm sorry I was—"

"I _will_ be fine. I just need time to process…" She gestured between them and then vaguely to the surrounding area before dropping her hand to her side.

"Things?" Seth offered.

"Indeed. And if we are being honest with each other, I imagine you require some time as well."

"Yeah." He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"Please understand I do not fault you for—"

"I know. But I do. I've never had to fight myself like that before." The urges he felt earlier that day scared the hell out of him. The fact that he somehow managed to control himself (for the most part) was a blessing, but…

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Thank you for being strong," T.J.'s lower lip trembled as tears welled in her eyes, "for me."

"What do you mean?" Seth asked carefully.

"I cannot imagine I would fully understand the scope of what you felt earlier, and we do not need to discuss it if you do not wish to. Speaking for myself, walking around in someone else's skin while fighting against my own instincts was an intense experience. I would go as far to say it was the most difficult thing I have ever done. So thank you for fighting, for being strong, and for not acting on any, um," she paused, deciding to finish her thought with, "base impulses."

Seth could do little more than nod numbly and stare at the floor as T.J. quietly excused herself from the room. Between the two of them, he knew that he was the one to act on instinct and she was more likely to use logic. And he knew that _she_ knew it, too. They had just begun to collaborate and find some sort of equilibrium, but his impulsive side could have destroyed all the trust she had in him (whether he felt he deserved any of it or not). Seth could have taken advantage of T.J.'s more measured, hesitant, and logical nature. And _he'd known that_. He could have…

Seth felt ill. He slammed his fist down on the countertop and hung his head. He was supposed to protect T.J. He'd promised.

* * *

Seth spent the rest of the evening in his quarters lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't distract himself from the events of the day. He suspected T.J. was having the same problem, but he didn't want to overstep, didn't want to intrude, didn't want to make her feel even more uncomfortable around him.

"She's stronger than she looks," he kept telling himself. And while that was true, it didn't mean that his presence or some words of comfort would be unwelcome…

He groaned and rolled over to face the far wall, realizing he was once again at war with himself. Under any other circumstances, he knew he wouldn't leave T.J. alone until he was sure she was okay. "I promised James," he said aloud, and yet he knew that couldn't be the only reason he was so protective of his second in command.

Suddenly, the overhead lights snapped on without warning, causing Goddard to swear and bury his face in his pillow. "What the hell? Lights out!"

The ship did not comply.

Goddard looked up at the ceiling. "Really? I can't control anything in the Command Post, and now you won't even let me control the lights in my own room?"

The lights brightened and dimmed, slightly pulsing, as if the ship was laughing at him.

Seth rolled his eyes. "Cute."

It was decidedly not cute when the doors to his rooms parted on their own accord. Seth trudged over to the access panel and tried wrestling with the orb so he could have some privacy, but the ship held firm. His door remained wide open.

Seth grumbled again, and was surprised to hear another voice do the same. "T.J.?" he wondered, peering into the corridor.

Sure enough, T.J. was fighting with the controls to her own door, only she appeared to be less frustrated and more distraught: she was either on the verge of tears or recovering from crying...or perhaps both. She sighed and leaned against the door jamb, defeated, finally addressing Seth with a shaky, "I take it the Christa is misbehaving for you as well?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Seems like she wants to tell us something."

"I wish she wouldn't meddle."

"Space hates meddling," Seth agreed, glad to see the beginnings of a demure smile pull at T.J.'s lips. "But in this case, she might know best. She seems to think we have some unfinished business to take care of before the day is over."

"Never go to bed angry," T.J. whispered to herself, but not quietly enough. Seth quirked an eyebrow and she backpedaled, explaining "It is simply an expression. I am not angry, just overwhelmed. I was going to brew some chamomile tea in the Galley. Would you care to join me?"

He nodded, and they walked side-by-side mostly staring at the floor with one occasionally sparing an awkward glance toward the other as they made their way to the Galley. Once they reached their destination, T.J. headed for the beverage dispensary while Seth paused in front of the food wheel, considering the device in front of him.

"We'll have to use this blasted thing again at some point," he decided aloud.

T.J.'s eyes widened. "Yes but...so soon? Is that wise?" The vivid memories of the worms were still fresh in her mind, and her anxieties were pushing them to the forefront.

"We can't starve ourselves, Teej." With a sigh he mused, "What do you think about facing our fear together?"

T.J.'s first instinct was a resounding "no" but she bit her tongue, held back her pessimistic thoughts, and made a valiant effort to swallow down her anxieties.

"Worst case scenario: the ship is feeling spiteful, and we use a bit of percussive maintenance on the food wheel," Seth decided, attempting to be lighthearted. "But if it's still upsetting you—"

"Alright," T.J. blurted out.

Seth raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You sure? The last thing I want to do is pressure you—"

"Quite sure," T.J. declared, abandoning her mug and approaching Seth at the food wheel. She placed a trembling hand on the center mechanism. "It is like some sort of upsetting culinary roulette," she muttered.

"Everyday a new adventure," Seth added wryly. "Spin it together, then?"

"Alright."

Seth placed his hand over hers. "On three?"

T.J. nodded. "One…"

"Two…"

"Three!" They spun the wheel together, watching the appliance until the dial stopped. Normally, the wheel would highlight one tube on one spin, but the lights branched out and selected two tubes: one for each of them.

"Which one is meant for me, and which for you?" T.J. wondered aloud.

"Only one way to find out." They selected their canisters, and Seth found two clean plates but frowned when he opened the cutlery drawer. "No forks," he said with a shrug.

"That does not sound promising."

He set the table with only plates and napkins before taking his seat. T.J. procured the rehydrating solution and placed it between them.

"Open the tubes on three?" Seth suggested.

T.J. took a deep breath. "Let us just get it over with."

They both poured the powdered contents onto their plates. Nothing unusual so far.

"Do you want me to go first?" Seth offered.

"To hell with it," T.J. muttered. Somehow _this_ and not the "snack" she shared with Seth earlier was the most awkward meal she'd ever had. She reached for the eyedropper, filled it with the rehydrator, and squeezed the bulb, watching the contents of her plate morph into a slice of chocolate cake. She blinked back her surprise and a fresh batch of tears.

"Why do I have waffles and strawberries?" Seth wondered, staring at the rehydrated food on his own plate.

T.J. managed to recover quickly. "That is my favorite. It would appear the ship is attempting to apologize."

Seth stared at T.J.'s plate and came to the same realization she had moments before. "Didn't you say that when Ninestein was on the ship…?"

"You did not use silverware then either. Although I believe that was a deliberate decision on your part and not a matter of inconvenience." She handed him the cake and then an extra napkin with a cheeky, "Something tells me you will be needing more than one of these."

He gave her a genuine smile along with the plate of waffles. "Sounds about right."

The tension seemed to dissipate as they dined, with T.J. making more playful comments about Seth's sloppy eating habits. He volleyed some back in her direction when she sneezed and accidentally blew powdered sugar halfway across the table. She looked mortified until Seth scooped up a dollop of chocolate frosting with his finger and offered, "Brownie point?"

"You are incorrigible," she said, and her smile reached her eyes.

Seth grinned in return. "I hear that a lot."

T.J.'s smile faded into a thoughtful frown. After a few minutes of contemplative silence, she offered her concerns freely, "We spent much of the day attempting to piece together that transmission, and yet the bigger mystery relates to its origin. We slipped into an alternate universe. Our future selves—the students' future selves—sent a message back in time to warn us, but where was Harlan in that future? Where were we?"

"Maybe Harlan, I dunno, was the one recording?" Seth offered lamely.

T.J. glared at him before stating, "I suppose I must remind the students to create that recording at some point."

"And send it back how?"

She shrugged. "Once I figure out the ship's xenowarp capabilities, I will be able to provide an answer to that question. Although when that happens, we might also be able to arrive home sooner than we anticipated."

Seth locked eyes with her in alarm. "You've been attempting to figure out time travel?!"

She shrugged again.

"You're serious?"

"You did not expect me to ignore the resources we have at our fingertips, did you?"

"No, but… I… You can't just…"

"While I am well-versed in hyperspace physics, the application remains theoretical. The Christa herself refuses to grant either of us access to the controls."

"But…" Seth rested his head in his hands in defeat. "Even Cat and Harlan don't know how they managed to trigger a xenowarp. They said they moved the crystals around at random."

"I would be far more methodical," T.J. countered. "Heavens, you were excited about the prospect of using this newfound technology a few weeks ago. What changed? Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. I just don't trust circumstances." Off T.J.'s quizzical glance, he clarified, "You remember when Harlan went missing, and it turned out he was thrown into some sort of hyperspace field. He joked that the ship was out to get him, and I rolled my eyes at the time, but maybe...maybe he was onto something. We don't really know what the Christa is capable of."

T.J. concealed a smile, realizing, "You are beginning to sound like me."

"But how many times has the ship tried to meddle? How many times have the doors locked you in or out of rooms? How many times have the jumptubes sent you to the wrong location?"

T.J. thought back to earlier when the ship jammed both of their doors open. She stared down at her plate and reasoned, "I suppose the Christa means to help. Did she not just offer an apology in her own way?"

"I suppose. Although…" Seth cut himself off, not wishing to embarrass himself any further. He found an encouraging nod from T.J. was all it took for him to continue, "What _is_ her agenda, really?"

"That is something worth contemplating."

"She set this up. This…" Seth cleared his throat. "Sharing a meal is a courtship ritual in many cultures."

T.J. sputtered for a moment before deciding, "I am sure the ship was merely apologizing for the nonsense with the food wheel earlier."

"Yeah, of course," he agreed with a shrug, though he wasn't so sure. Judging by the awkward silence that followed, she didn't seem so certain either.

T.J. felt the familiar sense of déjà vu as the image of a young Seth flashed before her. She was sitting in the corridor with this younger version of him that she remembered so clearly: gone were the worry lines on his forehead and the grey streaks at his temples. He had his plate of cake in his lap and frosting on his face, and he spoke with a hint of a lisp.

 _"Do you think we were friends in the past? I mean, in our future? I mean...when we're grown-ups, do we get along?" he'd asked._

 _"I cannot say for certain. But I hope so. It would appear we are making a substantial amount of progress in that direction now, wouldn't you say?"_

 _"_ _Yeah."_

 _"_ _I've never had a friend my own age before." It was a confession: one she'd been embarrassed about at the time._

 _"_ _Well you do now. We gotta stick together, right?" he'd answered easily, like it was the simplest thing in the universe._

 _She'd rolled her eyes. "More like we are already stuck together."_

 _"_ _Whatever. The point is, I'm here for you."_

 _Her heart had begun hammering, and instead of questioning this reaction, she'd questioned his motives. "And why is that? You are not obligated to be."_

 _He'd shrugged. "I wanna help. And we're friends now, right?"_

 _"Do you promise?"_

Suddenly, T.J. was pulled back to the present, and Seth was in front of her with his worry lines and grey streaks returned, but with chocolate still on his face. His lopsided smile melted into a concerned frown. "Hey. You with me?"

"Yes," she answered, still momentarily disoriented. She gestured vaguely to his face. "You have a little something. Just there..." she told him, hearing her own voice echo in her mind.

Seth attempted to wipe his mouth with his sleeve, but T.J. anticipated the move and caught his hand in hers. He playfully rolled his eyes at her, grinning. "What?"

T.J. shook her head and used her free hand to grab a napkin and blot the chocolate off his chin and the corner of his mouth. Suddenly flustered, she pulled away from him and cleared her throat as she tried to collect herself.

"Teej?"

"You are my best friend." she confessed in a voice barely above a whisper as her heart began pounding again.

Seth waited for her to continue with an "and" or a "but" or some other qualifier. When there wasn't one, he hung his head. "I'll try to be worthy of that title, then."

"Seth?"

"You're my best friend too, Teej. But I still can't understand why you want to spend time with me, much less call me a friend, if it wasn't for the fact that you don't have a choice."

"But I do have a choice," she insisted. "I choose to think of you as a friend and to treat you as such. I also have the option to completely ignore you," she teased, "but I would never."

"I'm not a good person. Being labeled a 'war hero' and then a disgrace, how could I be? And then today, I… Betraying your trust—"

"You have done nothing of the sort," she interrupted.

"But you don't understand what—"

"You are a role model to the children under our care. I still maintain they could learn a great deal from you, and I do believe they have done and will continue to do so. All for the better, I might add. You constantly put others before yourself and fight _any_ instinct to the contrary, even if it is to your detriment. It is a part of who you are. It has to be. Even from a young age, you…" T.J. faltered. "You may not remember it, but I do: when you had the choice to ignore me or to be cruel, and instead you—"

"Offered to help," he finished, extending his hand with his pinky up. "It's a standing offer. Promises mean something to me, you know."

He had also promised he would explain his behavior the day they'd left the Starcademy, but he had yet to acknowledge it, and T.J. hadn't forgotten. Or maybe he'd tried and hadn't been able to. He never did say when "later" would be. Suddenly, T.J. found herself hoping he wouldn't tell her; she didn't want to see him as anything other than the noble, selfless person she'd always believed him to be. Why did he continue to insist he was a horrible person? What secrets could be so terrible that he still felt the need to keep them from her?

 _"_ _Do you trust me?"_

"Yes." She linked her little finger with his, feeling rather emotional as she nodded. "I know."


	6. The Good of My Caring

**Title** : Herculean Tasks - Chapter 6 - The Good of My Caring

 **Rating** : T

 **Pairings** : Eventual "Goddenport"

 **Summary** : T.J. and Seth struggle with their dual roles as guardians and commanding officers when the Christa is boarded by a fugitive who endangers the crew. To make matters more complicated, the stowaway's motives resonate with the adults in ways they hadn't expected.

 **Disclaimer** : Takes place during "Prisoner of Luff," and some dialogue is lifted directly from the episode to serve the story. I don't own Space Cases; I just like to play in the show's sandbox.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Good of My Caring**

A sense of dread overcame T.J. as the Christa approached the prison satellite. She objected to flying so close to the facility, and when Seth narrowed his eyes and silently challenged her, she defended her position: she wasn't scared, but they were in close proximity to numerous dangerous criminals. She did not know what kind of security measures the prison had taken, but she was fairly confident that anyone with a basic knowledge of computers could override several systems as a means of escape. Seth's knowledge of prison procedure had caused her to make a dig at him, and his comeback that he was "well read" only served to irritate her more. So when an escaped convict barged into the Command Post with the intent of hijacking the Christa, T.J. did not hold back. She only stopped her tirade when interrupted by the fugitive, Sofiana Mrtz. T.J. complied, uncertain as to what the young woman was capable of.

The crew soon found out.

"Cat is in prison?" Seth said incredulously.

Sofiana sighed. "The only way to escape unnoticed was to get someone to take my place, and you happened to be cruising by."

T.J. shook her head and approached Goddard. She never liked saying "I told you so." But it seemed as though none of her concerns—concerns about the children and their safety—were being taken seriously. "I knew it was dangerous to come this close to that awful place. Now Catalina's in jail!" She turned to Seth, fuming, "Do I have to remind you that these students are our responsibility?!"

"Look!" He sternly interrupted her tirade and braced her by the shoulders. Seth was shocked when he felt her instinctively flinch in response, on alert as she stared at him with wide eyes. Was she afraid of _him_ now? His stomach churned at the thought. He needed to diffuse the situation and quickly provide reassurance, or they would soon find themselves arguing about "their kids" in front of an audience.

Seth schooled his voice to be gentle. "Everything is going to be fine. It's not like she can wander off and get lost."

T.J. knit her brows together as she studied the man before her with caution and uncertainty in her eyes. He was becoming more tactile with her lately, she noticed. She took a breath to mask an involuntary shudder, and an unspoken question hung in the air around them in a moment of tense silence.

Radu's soft melancholy voice served as a distraction as he offered, "She can't go anywhere. She's in a jail cell."

"That's right," Harlan agreed. "I mean, she _is_ safe there, right Sofiana?"

"Right…"

Seth gave T.J. a reassuring nod, and she felt more of the tension leave her body as he absentmindedly stroked her sleeve with his thumb before breaking contact.

"There is this little mind wipe thing they do…" Sofiana added, turning back around to face them.

Seth's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. "You were scheduled for a mind wipe?"

"And you set up Catalina to take your place?" Radu fumed.

"How could you do such a thing?" T.J. wondered aloud. How desperate must Sofiana have been to think that kidnapping an innocent teenage girl and violating her mind was an option?

"One mind versus an entire race…" Sofiana genuinely looked sorry for what she'd done. Even so, she justified her decision with, "I thought it was the obvious choice."

Rosie cautiously asked, "You mean she won't know us?"

"She won't even know her own name," Sofiana admitted. When T.J. and Seth shook their heads at her, speechless, she defended herself once again with, "I thought it was the right thing to do."

"Harlan, jump to hyperdrive," Seth ordered, staring Sofiana down the whole time. He looked positively murderous.

T.J. gulped and shook her head as tears glistened in her eyes. It was their fault Catalina was in this position. She had voiced her valid concerns to Seth, but he hadn't listened. And now they were going to lose one of their kids. Because of him.

Seth's hand was like a vice around hers, and he only let go when Harlan called him over to the helm. "You warned me," he whispered as he brushed past her, and it sounded like "I'm sorry; I was wrong."

T.J. paced around the Command Post as the rest of the crew worked in silence. Admittedly, she did not have Seth's "extensive knowledge of prisons." She couldn't offer much tactical knowledge in this situation, and her anxiety mounted along with the feeling of vulnerability. Finally, she sighed and deferred to the man who might be able to help, "Commander, do you have a plan to get Catalina out?"

"Of course."

T.J. stared at him pointedly, waiting for him to elaborate.

"I just haven't thought of it yet."

Before T.J. could articulate a retort, Harlan offered, "Don't worry, Commander. I've got you covered."

"You do?" There was both relief and surprise in the Commander's voice as he looked to their young helmsman for direction.

"Yeah. Sofiana can get us into the prison."

The stowaway shrugged. "I know how to do that."

"And this can get us out," Harlan announced, holding up the document cell before handing it to Goddard. "We'll trade the document cell for Catalina."

Sofiana narrowed her eyes. "I thought we had a deal."

"We did. I just changed the terms of our agreement," Harlan explained with a cocky shrug.

Sofiana folded her arms across her chest, deciding, "I won't help you get back into the prison."

"You will," Seth growled with finality, "or we'll turn you back in."

T.J. cleared her throat, trying to ignore the tension in the room. "May I see the document cell, please?"

Seth quirked an eyebrow at her as she took the device and examined it carefully.

No distinct markers, T.J. noted. If she were to swipe it and replace it, Sofiana wouldn't know until it was too late. But no, she couldn't do that to the poor girl. Even if what she'd done to accomplish her mission was unethical and dangerous… Maybe just a peek, then? One look was all T.J. would need to reproduce the code from memory.

Seth cleared his throat in an effort to catch T.J.'s attention. He remained professional as he addressed her, "Miss Davenport? What are you thinking?"

Flecks of green seemed to flash in her hazel eyes as she snapped, "I am thinking that if you want something done correctly, you must do it yourself." She turned, heading for the door, with the document cell in hand.

Harlan and Seth sprang into action as Sofiana moved to follow, and they restrained the fugitive between the two of them.

"Where is she going? That's mine!" Sofiana shouted. "Let me go!"

Seth's grip on the girl's arm tightened. "You already put a member of my crew at risk, and I will _not_ let you hurt another," he growled. "Give me one good reason we shouldn't hold you in the airlock until we get back to the prison satellite."

Harlan blinked back his surprise at the outburst. "Commander?"

"Keep her restrained, Band," was all Seth said as he released his hold on Sofiana and strode out into the hallway.

He thought he would have to chase T.J. down, but instead he found her standing outside the door, staring at the document cell in her hands. "

What's the plan?" he asked her.

"So _now_ you want to listen to what I have to say?" she fired back. "I told you. I _told you_ something bad would happen, and _you_ _wouldn't listen,_ and now Catalina is in danger because of _your_ negligence!"

"Teej, I'm so—"

"I don't want to hear it! When Catalina is returned to us as a shell of the girl she used to be, is _that_ what it will take for you to finally listen to my concerns and take me seriously? _She_ will be the one paying the price for _your_ piss-poor command decision!" T.J. gulped, narrowing her eyes as she delivered the final blow, "And if she does not return to us safe and sound, I will never forgive you."

Seth was speechless. After a long moment he told her, "I wouldn't blame you. Because I'd never forgive myself either."

"Well then at least we agree on something," she fired back with tears in her eyes.

"Radu can probably hear—"

"Well then _you_ can be the one to explain the situation to him if he has any questions." She brushed past Goddard, intentionally checking him with her shoulder as she continued down the corridor.

"What's the plan, Teej?" he called after her, unable to keep the defeat from his voice. "Are you going to hide the document cell?"

"No. I intend to return it to Sofiana. But if something goes wrong, or the cell becomes stolen or lost, we will need a backup plan. And 'nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.'"

Seth watched her turn the corner, only vaguely aware of Harlan's presence when he joined him in the hall.

"Radu has Sofiana restrained," the young Earther explained. Cautiously, he added, "He said you might need some help?"

"Uh, yeah." Seth sighed and scrubbed his hands down his face. "Just...go help Miss Davenport," he decided. "I don't know exactly what she intends to do, but I think… Just help her, okay?"

* * *

Harlan found T.J. in her classroom rifling through the shelving unit in the corner. Old volumes of Earth literature were casualties of her mission, ripped from their homes and discarded haphazardly on the floor. The young Earther watched wide-eyed and worried, and he even briefly considered leaving while his teacher was distracted, lest he become a target for her fury. But T.J. made his decision for him.

"Mister Band, did Commander Goddard send you?" she asked without turning around.

"Yeah." He decided to tread carefully. "I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but I'm here to help. What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing at all. You are dismissed and free to head back to the Command Post."

"Look, I _want_ to help," Harlan insisted. "Cat's in trouble, and we're going as fast as we can to get back to the prison, but in the meantime I can't just stand around. Please let me help, Miss Davenport."

T.J. finally looked up at the young man and nodded in understanding. "I want to copy Sofiana's files," she answered. "I am searching for a blank document cell, though it would seem I do not have immediate access to any spares, unless I misplaced one. There is something to be said for organization," she rambled.

"Organization, yeah," Harlan couldn't help but quip as he made a show of taking in the mess. "See, I was thinking we'd do a bit of bluffing of our own."

T.J.'s interest was piqued, and she gave her student her undivided attention. "How do you mean?"

"Y'know, the ol' switcheroo. We wouldn't want the Luff getting their hands on the document cell, right? It's our only real bargaining chip. But if we still want to give the real one to Sofiana once we get Cat back, then we can."

T.J. smiled at her student. "I do like that strategy. Two brownie points, Mister Band. But I would still like to make a copy," she cleared her throat, "for myself. If you can help me find a blank document cell, you may take it and head back to the Command Post."

Harlan grinned and hastily grabbed one of the cells from the shelf. He was almost to the jumptubes when he heard Davenport clear her throat and call to him, "You know very well that is a copy of the Starcademy rulebook."

Harlan rolled his eyes. "Why do we even need it? You practically have the whole thing memorized."

T.J. bit back the brag that she didn't only _practically_ have it memorized, she knew it in its entirety down to the last punctuation mark. Instead she motioned for him to return the rulebook to its proper place. "It would also be unwise to hand any of our training materials to hostiles," she added.

"That's why I was gonna delete it all first," Harlan explained in an attempt to lighten the mood.

T.J. only soured further. "I suggest you head back to the Command Post before I have second thoughts about those brownie points."

"Yeah, I get it." A pause and then another joke, "Don't want to risk getting grounded, too."

"Yes, well," T.J. inhaled sharply and turned to busy herself with examining the rest of the data vessels with shaking hands.

Harlan cringed as he observed her obvious discomfort. "Sorry, Miss D. I didn't mean anything by it. Bad joke. You okay?"

"Once we get Catalina back—safe and sound with your help—then, I will be okay."

"Goddard's really shaken up, too. Everyone is. It's not just me and you."

"I am aware."

Harlan spotted a flash of metallic blue in the corner. He knelt down to find three document cells buried under a mess of the bound texts his teacher seemed to favor. "These cells aren't labeled. I think they're blank, unless they're a part of your new filing system here."

T.J. rolled her eyes, secretly glad for a bit of lighthearted ribbing, as she checked the cells in question before handing one back to Harlan. "That one will do."

Fearing another misstep, Harlan decided to keep his reassurances brief as he headed toward the jumptubes. "We'll get Cat back. Thanks for letting me help. Two brownie points for _you_ , Miss D. See you up in the ComPost."

She turned toward him ever so slightly, enough for him to see her smile in gratitude without making eye contact. "Thank you, Mister Band."

Once T.J. was certain her student had left, she inserted one of the other blank cells into the room's control console, along with Sofiana's. She knew the risks of executing the files, so she synced her compupad to the display screen and examined the code using her device's IDE. She wasn't familiar with the programming language Julian had used, but it had a similar structure to others she'd studied, and she was able to piece together the way in which the software was intended to work. It was just as Sofiana had said: the program would render all weapons useless.

"Defense only," T.J. whispered to herself.

Though the Luff would then be vulnerable to attack, Julian's work to neutralize the aggressors' firepower was methodical, precise, and humane.

T.J. soon found herself absentmindedly pacing the room instead of tidying the mess she had created. It appeared a significant portion of history had been rewritten, and this did not sit well with her. She wanted to discuss her worries with Seth, but she was still angry with him. They _needed_ to get Cat back. She wanted to help make that happen, but—

A chill washed over her. Everyone was shaken by the situation, they all wanted to help, and the collective "we" in Harlan's plan implied…

 _He wouldn't._

T.J. sprinted to the jumptubes and keyed in the code for the Command Post before taking a deep breath and putting her faith in the tube network. She landed in the Command Post to find Rosie and Bova chatting by the Communications console.

T.J. no longer cared to school her voice, and the hysteria was evident when she demanded, "Where are the others?"

"They went to break into the prison," Bova said with a nonchalant shrug. "Goddard left us here to watch over things. He probably thinks we're too young to go on a rescue mission. Which is fine, I guess. We'd probably end up detained, too."

Rosie hurried to her side and led her toward the seat she'd just abandoned, reassuring her, "They'll come back with Cat. You'll see. It'll all work out fine."

T.J. was shaking: from fear or rage, she wasn't certain. All she allowed herself to do was nod when she wanted to voice all of her fears: how _none_ of them would come back and they'd lose Catalina, Harlan, Radu, and Seth. How she might have been able to talk them out of going if she'd been paying more attention instead of locking herself away and satisfying her own curiosity. How she didn't think herself capable of getting Bova and Rosie home without the rest of the crew. How her last words to Seth had been out of anger.

But she'd _told him_. The students were _their_ responsibility, and he went ahead and made another stupid command decision without asking or informing her. Entering the prison through proper channels was dangerous enough, but they were _breaking in_ and hoping to complete their mission unnoticed and using Harlan's idea for a bargaining chip as a backup plan? What the hell were they thinking?

"Bova, Rosie: you remain up here in case they contact us from inside the prison. I am going to wait by the airlock."

Bova gave T.J. a nearly imperceptible quirk of an eyebrow. "By yourself?"

She narrowed her eyes at the young Uranusian before turning on her heel and striding into the corridor with a sense of bravado she did not feel. She forged ahead, feeling angry and betrayed and muttering to herself, "I will give that man the bollocking of his life."

But after a mere fifteen minutes of pacing and fidgeting in front of the airlock, the doors whirred open, revealing the students, Sofiana, and Seth.

"Hey, look who we found!" Harlan announced, grinning.

"I'll take detention over _that_ any day," Cat announced.

"Did they hurt you?" T.J. asked in alarm, hurrying over to the girl and bracing her by the shoulders so she could look her over.

"Oh, I'm fine," the Saturnian replied.

"That is not what I asked."

"I'm okay. Really. Thanks to these guys."

T.J. was torn between wanting to hug Catalina, throttle Seth, reprimand Sofiana, and thank Harlan and Radu. She looked between the five of them, overwhelmed and shaking as her heart continued thudding in her chest.

"Hey, it's okay, Miss D. Everything turned out alright," Harlan reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I found Cat, the Commander and I negotiated with the guards—" Goddard interrupted with a scoff, but Harlan continued explaining, "And Radu was able to remove the collar that—"

This time Goddard interrupted with a cough this time, glaring at the young helmsman.

"The collar that…?" T.J. prompted him to continue.

"Doesn't matter," Harlan realized, not wanting to upset Davenport anymore.

"And where is the document cell?"

"It kinda sorta…"

"It blew up," Sofiana interrupted flatly. She shook her head and frowned. "It's gone."

The young woman had put them all in danger and nearly gotten Catalina killed, but T.J. still felt an ache in her chest as she watched the younger redhead frown and fidget in the corner. _"_ _One mind versus an entire race,"_ Sofiana had said. If T.J. had been in the same position—with the opportunity to reclaim powerful technology, peacefully end a war, and clear her father's name—how far would she go?

T.J. shook the thoughts from her mind. No. She would never risk a child's life. Ever. She found herself looking at Seth, wondering how much of the Mrtzes' story resonated with him. After all, his own rumored wrongdoings seemed counter to every belief he held. The man she knew would never "almost start a war" intentionally, she was certain. But Seth was not a dispassionate man, and if the possibility of war had been an unintended consequence of a decision made under duress…

No. She couldn't allow her thoughts to run away with her.

* * *

Sofiana's vessel wasn't designed for long-distance travel, but she insisted that she'd overstayed her welcome and needed to be on her way. Radu, Harlan, and Catalina helped her prepare her escape pod while T.J. and Seth looked on. Sofiana climbed in wordlessly, still unsure. She hadn't yet apologized for her actions. In fact, Radu was the one to apologize for what happened inside the prison.

"Yeah, well, at least I have my freedom. And I have you guys to thank for that," was Sofiana's reply.

"Well, you were only doing what was right," Catalina chimed in.

T.J. put a protective hand on her shoulder. After all Sofiana had put her through, she was willing to forgive her without even being asked. "That's very gracious of you, Catalina," T.J. remarked, hoping to sound supportive and not as unsettled as she felt.

"Yeah, she almost got you killed," Harlan added as if reading T.J.'s mind.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Sofiana said again.

"War can get you all mixed up," Radu conceded.

Harlan agreed, "I guess sometimes what you think is right, isn't right," and it was not lost on T.J. what a huge step it was for the young man to admit this, considering his own personal prejudices.

Cat nodded. "Yeah, and you ended up doing the wrong thing for the right reasons."

T.J. looked at Seth who managed a smile and a, "Good luck to you."

"Without that document cell: I'm gonna need it."

"Oh, by the way, do you think you got any room in there for this?" Harlan asked, showing Sofiana the document cell he'd been concealing behind his back.

"The document cell?" Sofiana stared at it in disbelief. "But I was _there._ I saw it explode."

" _I_ was bluffing," Harlan explained with a chuckle, and T.J. couldn't help but smile proudly as he explained his plan—the one that had received her seal of approval—to Sofiana and the rest of the crew.

As Sofiana thanked them and the airlock doors closed, she looked like she'd gained some semblance of peace. T.J. rested her hands on Catalina's shoulders, squeezing gently in some approximation of a reassuring sideways hug, and the young Saturnian looked between her two commanding officers with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

"I'm _fine_ ," Cat insisted again. "Suzee and I both know you were worried, and—"

"Of course we were! The Commander and I are," T.J. cut herself off and cleared her throat, "responsible for your wellbeing."

"We know." Cat gave them both a cheeky smile, shaking her head and playfully rolling her eyes. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up. That place was gross."

The boys agreed, and the three students teased each other as they headed down the corridor, with T.J. and Seth behind them. When the group passed the classroom, they were all surprised to see the doors open, revealing its state of disarray.

"You need some more help, Miss D?" Harlan joked.

He didn't wait for her answer before crossing through the room and picking up a few books along his way. Catalina spared a glance at her teacher before she and Radu followed suit.

Seth hovered in the doorway. "What happened in here?"

T.J.'s cheeks flushed as she looked down at the floor, flustered. "Ah, well, that would be my doing, actually."

"Suzee says she's impressed." Cat chuckled.

Goddard shook his head. "That's one word for it."

"I suppose I was in a bit of a hurry earlier, during my search for a blank document cell," T.J. explained.

"And you just left everything scattered around like this?"

She was about to dismiss Seth's concern when the kids began arguing.

"No, Cat, the xenobiology books go next to the physics ones."

"I think I know what I'm doing, Harlan."

"Guys, m-maybe we should ask."

T.J. smiled softly as she watched the interaction. _Back to some semblance of normal,_ she thought. "Actually, the chemistry texts fall between the two. I appreciate your help, truly. But you do not need to worry about it. It shouldn't take long for me to tidy up, and we've all had a long day. Harlan, and Radu: you're dismissed. Catalina, may we speak with you privately for a moment?"

Radu left through the jump tubes. Harlan followed, but not before offering a, "Catch you later, Ring Head," over his shoulder.

Cat rolled her eyes at him before turning to nonchalantly address her commanding officers, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Seth's eyebrows shot up to reach his hairline. "What did we want to talk about?"

"Harlan told me you were arguing a lot today," she deflected with a shrug.

"We were worried about you, of course," T.J. explained. "We still are. _That_ is what we wanted to discuss."

Catalina took a seat in the corner with a sigh of resignation. She sat slightly hunched over, her feigned confidence melting away, and it broke T.J.'s heart to see the usually confident girl appear so fragile and meek.

"You only fight about things that really matter," Cat muttered before biting her lip and turning to the empty space beside her. "That's what Suzee and I figured out."

T.J. and Seth exchanged glances before claiming seats next to each other and turning to face their student in order to give her some space. The corner of Catalina's mouth twitched in a grateful smile, and T.J. swore she looked younger than her fifteen years, yet somehow much more weary.

"I saw Sofiana, and the next thing I knew I was in a cell," the girl explained. "It really was like being in a cage: no bed, nowhere to wash up. It was dark, dirty. I didn't know how I'd gotten there or if anyone knew I was missing." She flexed her fingers against the edge of her seat. In a small voice she continued, "Suzee and I had to figure everything out on our own. I just needed to get out of there. I kept screaming."

T.J. instinctively reached out to the girl, gently resting a hand on her shoulder as something twisted in her gut.

"I used my sonic scream," Catalina clarified, noting the expression of horror on Davenport's face and the one of shame and guilt on Goddard's. "I used it to weaken the bars and get out of the cell, but we couldn't find a way out of the prison."

"You are safe now, Catalina," T.J. reassured her. "And we are beyond relieved to have you back."

"I saw what they did to the others," she revealed, sheepishly, looking at Goddard. "They brainwashed them. I saw this one guy: he was like a zombie. I wonder if he knew what happened to him, or if it was like some factory reset, or… Was he even a person anymore? What exactly did they do to him? Do you know? Have you… Have you seen anything like that before?"

"No." Goddard rasped. "And I'm sorry you had to."

"I thought expressing regret undermined crew confidence or something," Catalina quipped, making a weak attempt at a smirk.

Seth looked between Catalina and T.J., deciding, "Sometimes it's necessary. Sometimes it's what's right, especially when you mean it. Especially when you make a really, really bad call. I'm sorry, Cat."

"How many people do you think are in there, that don't _belong_ in there?" the girl wondered aloud.

T.J. grew even more unsettled as she thought back to the information presented to the crew through the historical data bank: how Julian's story had been rewritten, with the peaceful scientist depicted as a villain and executed by the Luff. She spared a glance toward the corner of the room, where the document cells and her compupad were still connected to the control console. "I couldn't say."

"But we helped make things right today," Catalina mused aloud, with a note of hope in her voice. "Sofiana didn't belong in jail. And what happened to her dad was..."

T.J. echoed Thelma's earlier words, "Discredited and jailed…" but she couldn't bear to utter the scientist's ultimate fate.

"Sometimes the vacuum of space isn't far," Seth began, "and we can't right all the wrongs in the universe. But when we sense an injustice, we do the best we can to try to make things right. It's part of being a STARDOG."

T.J.'s breath caught in her throat as Seth spared a glance in her direction. She fidgeted for a moment in uncomfortable silence before excusing herself to cross the room and tend to her mess.

Seth regarded her curiously, and Catalina could tell he was distracted. "Hey, Commander? I really am okay. I promise I'll talk to you if I'm not." She offered quietly, "And it's none of our business, but Suzee and I think that maybe, y'know..." She tilted her head in Davenport's direction.

"Yeah," Seth sighed.

The two stood up, and Catalina surprised her commanding officer by giving him a hug. He hesitated to reciprocate, and Cat tried to be flippant but still sounded timid when she asked, "What? Does Space hate hugs?"

T.J. turned around, and her heart clenched as she watched the scene unfold before her. She made eye contact with Seth over the girl's shoulder, and noticed the shock and fear in his eyes.

"Are hugs against the STARDOG Code or something?" Cat jibed again, outwardly ignoring the silent conversation happening around her.

Seth shook his head before finally hugging the girl back. "No."

Catalina scrunched her nose and gave him a lopsided grin similar to his own before turning to face Davenport and lifting an uncertain eyebrow. T.J. placed her shaking hands on the girl's shoulders again, still keeping her at arm's length as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Catalina asked, her eyes briefly darting to the space next to her.

It was T.J. who surprised Catalina by initiating a hug. The Saturnian hugged back, unused to this level of affection from the usually strict disciplinarian. Cat pulled back and noticed the tears in her teacher's eyes. "Miss Davenport?"

"Please do let us know if you need anything," T.J. offered.

"Yeah. Of course."

Cat looked between the commander and teacher again. She respectfully nodded to both of them before keying in the code for the girls' bunkrooms and departing with a whoosh of the jumptubes, leaving T.J. and Seth alone amidst the fallout of scattered thoughts, knowledge, and emotions.

"The collar that...what?" T.J. finally asked.

"Huh?"

"Harlan mentioned a collar of some sort earlier, and you interrupted him," she recalled, wringing her hands. "What happened in the prison, Seth?"

He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. There was no good way to share that information with her. He was unable to look her in the eyes as he stumbled over his words and backtracked, "Instead of a mind wipe, the Luff intended to… Cat was wearing Sofiana's prison ID collar. If the prisoners are deemed too defiant, there's a, um… There's a detonator in the collars that can be set on a timer or triggered by remote."

T.J. turned to lean against the shelves for support, trying to put the pieces together. "And the document cell exploded because…?"

"Radu was able to break the collar. He tossed it, and Harlan threw the blank cell in the same direction to sell his bluff. The warden wanted the Mrtz Virus so badly, he went after it."

T.J. turned to lock eyes with Seth. "The warden died, then?"

"I got the kids out and didn't look back," he admitted. "Teej, he was—"

" _Someone has most likely died_ because of your actions, Seth! And what if _the students_ looked back? What if _they_ saw what happened?"

"But Warden Opus—"

" _Catalina_ _almost died!_ And then you chose to lead _more_ of the kids into danger when you went to rescue her!"

"I needed backup, and I needed muscle," Seth rationalized.

"Harlan and Radu are children, for pity's sake! They are not soldiers!"

"They aren't helpless. They are capable—"

"You need to stop thinking like a captain and start thinking like a..." The words died in T.J.'s throat, but she could tell Seth understood. He stepped back, stunned. "They are our responsibility," she concluded, fighting back tears. "They look up to you. Harlan may be able to think quickly in a crisis, but he is unpredictable. And Radu may be strong, but he is a sensitive boy."

"If Harlan and Radu hadn't been there, Catalina would most certainly be dead right now," Seth revealed. "I couldn't convince Opus of the mixup, but I distracted him long enough for Harlan to find Cat and for Radu to remove the collar."

"I do not want to hear it," she seethed. "Are you trying to apologize or trying to prove you were right? Because you cannot have it both ways, and I will _not_ back down when the lives of children are at stake."

"Teej—"

"Don't you 'Teej' me! I'm bloody furious with you, you pillock! I will protect these children, even if that means protecting them from you and your stupidity!"

Seth's eyes glistened with tears. His voice wavered when he finally admitted, "I can't do both. I can't be a leader and a… I've told you, I'm not cut out for that."

T.J. wrapped her arms around herself and attempted to ward off a wave of nausea. "No."

"No?"

"You do not have much of a choice in the matter. These kids… I… We need you."

"Teej—"

"'I help you and you help me,' remember? You will make a space explorer out of me, and I will make a guardian—a caregiver, a role model—out of you. I do believe Father might issue a similar challenge if he had any say in the matter." She stood up straight and made sure to hold her head high to add a sense of finality.

Seth scrubbed his hands down his face. James would always be the ace up T.J.'s sleeve. Seth felt guilty and defeated, and he was certain those emotions were in his voice when he continued to explain, "I needed Harlan and Radu to come with me. Based on Sofiana's intel, it was our best shot at getting Cat back. I considered our options and the risks involved, and I couldn't have done it alone. I won't apologize for my strategy, but I will apologize for not consulting you. You're right: we're a team, and we should be working together. I shouldn't have gone behind your back, and I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

T.J. bit her lip and nodded, taking a moment to process. "Being kept in the dark, all I could offer was my concern. If I had known more, I could have run scenarios… You've been in the field, and you know about these things. While I mocked your knowledge before, it was an asset in this situation. I just worry that the vacuum of space will not play fair. I am sorry, too."

"Never apologize for caring, T.J."

"I am sorry for yelling at you, then. I am sorry for storming off. I should have approached you more diplomatically. It would seem I also need to find a balance between the responsibilities of a ranking officer and those of a guardian. I just… When I think of the ways it could have all gone wrong, I can see them with perfect clarity."

"You could have run scenarios…?" Seth repeated, his eyes going wide.

T.J.'s took a deep breath and confirmed, "It can be quite helpful when I have all the facts, but it does nothing for my anxiety." Her heart was pounding, and she willed her hands to stop shaking as she rambled on, "We see the most impossible things out here, and my thoughts run away with me, so when you, Radu, and Harlan went missing and all I knew was that you were sneaking back inside the prison, I pictured the most horrible things. I wouldn't be able to keep Rosie and Bova safe on my own, nor would I be able to cope with losing you or our kids, or—"

Seth grasped T.J.'s trembling hands in his. "What color are my eyes?"

T.J. shook her head in confusion as her focus darted around the room. "What? Blue. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Not from memory. Look at them."

She locked eyes with him and felt her heart racing even faster. "Cerulean," she noted, sheepishly, fighting the urge to look away. "They change in the light."

Seth tried and failed to prevent a smug smile from pulling at his lips. "Good. Now what else do you see? The walls: what color are they?"

"Violet," she answered.

"Name three more things you can see."

She knew what he was attempting to do; she'd tried grounding exercises like this before, though she wasn't sure if indulging him was helping. "The seats, the jumptubes." She looked down at the floor. "A chemistry text."

"Good. We're all here, and we're all okay. I know you're used to reliving the past or worrying about the future. But take a deep breath and try to take a moment to be _in_ the moment. Focus on what's here," he instructed gently. "Concentrate on what you can hear, feel, smell..."

 _The timbre of his voice, the warmth of his hands holding mine, the spice of his cologne..._ T.J. blushed. She took a deep breath—in for three seconds and out for six seconds—repeating until she visibly relaxed, the tension in her shoulders and neck disappearing as she slouched ever so slightly. She'd begun absentmindedly rubbing circles on the back of Seth's hand with her thumb, still feeling the need to fidget.

"Better?" Seth wondered.

"Yes, thank you. I…" She gulped and admitted, "I rather like being in the moment. I shall try to do that more often."

"And I'll be more sensitive to your anxieties." With his eyes downcast, he added, "I don't want to push you away."

"You couldn't. Not really. I cannot do this without you."

"I don't know if I believe that," he deflected. "Once we get your self esteem up, you'll be a better commander than me. You'll see."

"That is not possible."

"I've seen you with confidence, Teej. It looks good on you."

"As far as commanding officers are concerned, you are the best person for the job. There is a reason you rose through the ranks so quickly."

"There's a reason I was demoted, too," Seth grumbled.

After a beat of silence, T.J. wondered, "I assume that is still another story for another time?"

"Later," Seth confirmed through a sigh.

She searched his eyes for answers, but she found none. Aiming to lighten the mood, she quipped, "Later: I shall mark it on my schedule."

Seth playfully retaliated with another lopsided smile. He bent down to retrieve the chemistry book and slot it between the xenobiology and physics texts. "Goes here, right?"

T.J. nodded. "You were paying attention."

"So you subscribe to the Dewey Decimal System, eh?"

"It has its flaws, but given the age of these texts, I found it fitting that…" She paused and managed to mask her shock as she challenged him, "What do you know about the Dewey Decimal System?"

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she correctly anticipated his reply, "I'm well read."


End file.
